Vehicle Description
Generally regarded as the world's finest 2-seat touring car, the
Mercedes-Benz SL class is, and always has been, automotive royalty.
The R129 version, of which this one-owner 1992 500SL is a member,
is probably the last SL that was actually conceived, designed, and
built by engineers rather than the marketing department, and the
results speak for themselves. It is powerful, fast, stylish, and
utterly reliable in the finest Mercedes-Benz fashion.
Bright red paint on your 2-seat sports car seems appropriate, and
the Mercedes SL has always worn it with pride. Many think of these
cars as soft, but it's quite the contrary. In fact, the 322
horsepower 500SL delivered a technological knock-out to the rest of
the world, and the sleek, chiseled styling still looks contemporary
today. Like all SLs, this one gets attention wherever it goes, and
showing up in this car means you have well and truly arrived. Fit
and finish, even after 25 years, are still quite good, and the
vault-like qualities of the doors remain intact. Costing nearly
$80,000 when it was new, you definitely got high-quality fit and
finish, and the 5-year-old paint on this roadster shows few signs
of the passage of time. The net effect is an elegant, upscale car
that was built to impress both the driver and onlookers, and that
three-pointed star will make you an A-list celebrity everywhere you
go.
You'll definitely FEEL like a celebrity inside, with sculpted tan
leather buckets that are simple in design and big on comfort. The
leather seating surfaces show only moderate wear, and no damage,
and certainly nothing that looks like it has spent 25 years in the
sun. Burled walnut inserts on the console and dash warm up the
Teutonic instrument panel, and the driver is offered a complete
array of gauges, as well as a fat steering wheel that feels great
in your hands. A newer Kenwood AM/FM/CD stereo head unit has been
installed, likely a big improvement over the original piece. All
the power accessories you can imagine were standard equipment, plus
a few neat extras like the pop-up hoop behind the seats that can be
manually activated to act as a wind-blocker. The original black
canvas top, complete with plastic rear windows, remains in good
condition and powers up and down with all new hydraulics. And like
most SLs of the past, this car includes a color-matched hardtop as
well.
The SL's real claim to fame has always been performance without
sacrificing comfort and luxury, and the 500SL's 5.0 liter V8
certainly delivers. With 322 horsepower, it moves the
technology-laden 2-seater with real authority and the most sonorous
exhaust note this side of a Ferrari. It's also remarkably durable
given its complexity, and with proper service, these engines rarely
need major surgery. The only transmission available was a 4-speed
automatic that was a good match to the SL's mission, and the
all-independent suspension soaks up bumps and hangs on in corners
equally well. Massive disc brakes with ABS live behind cool
multi-spoke alloys that wear 255/40/18 front and fat 285/35/18 rear
Michelin performance radials with a lot of life left in them.
A full set of manuals are included and with just one owner, you
know this is a special car. This lovely 500SL offers sparkling
German performance and prestige at a bargain price. Call today!
