Shots From Brochures Past: Benz 560SL
By Gunnar Heinrich
PHOTOGRAPHY being the artful demarcation of time and place that it is, there’s something about this image that’s at once period and on the other hand, indelibly timeless.
Pictured above is a 1986 Mercedes-Benz 560SL shot in the great American West in red over cream; popular for topless Teutons of that era.
These three SL photos are scanned facsimiles from an old US S-Class brochure that a friend gifted me nearly nine years ago.
The brochure itself is a testament to an unapologetic era of status assertion.
It reads as follows:
“The legendary SL Coupe/Roadster has earned its unique niche in the motoring world by blending two rich automotive themes: the lure of a lithe and eager top-down sporting machine and the reassurance of a strong, secure, supremely livable Mercedes-Benz. For 1986, the most confirmed SL advocate will revise his opinion upward.”
Much of the rest of the promotional text talks with the same über confidence that can only come from successfully selling a model line that sold virtually free from competition in the US market for two decades.
Timeless, indeed.
[Linked: March 1994 R&T Review of R107 Line]
About the Author: Gunnar Heinrich is publisher of Automobiles De Luxe online and is executive producer of the Automobiles De Luxe Television series on PBS member station CPTV.
Johannes Schlörb | Jun 24, 2008 | Reply
Two interesting bits on the 560SL: it has never been officially available in Germany! And their engine was actually weaker than that of the 500SL if you compare the actual performance.
Nevertheless these cars are nowadays probably the most sought-after 107-roadsters, because they are typically in much better condition than European models, but not as expensive.
One mint-condition 560SL roadster from California I know of personally is currently shipping to Germany and will receive a new (!) engine in Cologne. The last available factory-new M117 with 300hp. So this one car may become the first “true” 560SL in terms of performance
gunnar | Jun 24, 2008 | Reply
Quite so, Johannes!
Though, to confuse the issue – I remember driving a 560SL and getting what I thought equated to the older 500 performance (having driven a 500SEC) rather than 560 performance (knowing full well how a 560SEL rockets). The sound was like the previous 500, too.