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Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (R107) - a youthful classic with a legendary name

Name: Mercedes-Benz 350 SL 1971
Brand: Mercedes-Benz

TEXTMay 7, 2011 · 9 min

Bruno von Rotz

PHOTOS

Bruno von Rotz · 15 Photos

Daimler AG13 PhotosArchiv7 Photos

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Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (1987) - über 18 Jahre blieb die Karosserie fast unverändert

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Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (1987) - elegante Erscheinung

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Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (1987) - der R107 mit seinem berühmten und legendären Vorfahren W198

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Mercedes-Benz 350 SL (1971) - 40 Jahre SL - vom 300 SL 1953 über den 300 SL 1960, zum 190 SL, zur Pagode 280 SL um 1970, dem R117 bis zum 500 SL (R129) von 1989

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Mercedes-Benz 280 SL (1968) - Vorgänger des R107 - die berühmte Pagode der Baureihe R113

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Mercedes-Benz 350 SL (1972) - frühes Modell, ohne Kopfstützen

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Mercedes-Benz 280 SL (1976) - wunderschöne Strandszene

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Mercedes-Benz 350 SL (1972) - idyllische Sonnenuntergangs-Szenerie

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Mercedes-Benz 280 SL (1978) - Hilfestellung durch den Pannendienst mit einem Mercedes T-odell

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Mercedes-Benz 380 SL (1982) - Durchsichtszeichnung

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Mercedes-Benz 350 SL (1973) - Frontansicht

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Mercedes-Benz 350 SL (1971) - zwischen den Ahnen 500 K (W107) und 300 SL (W198)

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Mercedes-Benz 450 SL (1976) - Einsatz als Winterfahrzeug

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Mercedes-Benz 280 SL (1982) - mit Hardtop, geschlossenem Stoffach und offen

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Mercedes-Benz 350 SL (1976) - macht auch geschlossen eine gute Figur

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Mercedes-Benz 380 SL (1980) - elegante Silhouette

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Mercedes-Benz 380 SL (1980) - gut sichtbar das seltenre Stoffinterieur

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Mercedes-Benz 380 SL (1980) - mit Automatikgetriebe

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Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (1987) - ein Bett im Sonnenblumenfeld

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Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (1987) - elegant auch mit Hardtop

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Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (1987) - Frontansicht

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Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (1987) - Heckansicht des klassische R 107

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Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (1987) - mit Hardtop

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Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (1987) - offen den Frühling geniessen

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Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (1987) - wettersicher dank Hardtop

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Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (1987) - das Hardtop übernahm das Muster von der Pagode

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Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (1987) - einer von einer Handvoll handgeschalteter 300 SL in der Schweiz

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Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (1987) - viel Chrom und ein breiter Kühlergrill prägen den 300 SL

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Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (1987) - von der Seite ist die spezielle Form des Hardtops nicht zu sehen

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Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (1987) - Bummeln auf der Autobahn

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Mercedes-Benz 350 SL (1971) - elegantes und sicherer Reisewagen

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Mercedes-Benz 350 SL (1971) - offen am schönsten, hier mit den geschiedeten Aluminiumfelgen

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Mercedes-Benz 350 SL (1971) - das Cabrio mit aufgesetztem Coupé-Dach

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Mercedes-Benz 350 SL (1971) - von vorne gesehen sieht man die charakteristische Form des Hardtops gut

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Mercedes-Benz 350 SL (1971) - grosses Lenkrad aus dem C111, übersichtliche Armaturen

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Summary

Between 1971 and 1989, Mercedes built the R107 and the coupé variant C107 as the 280 SL to 560 SL and 280 SLC to 500 SLC respectively. Commercially, the model series was a great success and the R107 was the longest-built SL ever; the predecessors W198, R113 and the successors were all built over much shorter periods of time. The last examples of the R107 series became classics from the assembly line and today, together with their older brothers, enjoy a large fan community.

This article contains the following chapters

Well-known
Initially scorned and disregarded
Committed to safety and comfort
Not a sports car? SL?
Long runners live longer
Rebirth of the 300 SL in 1985
Not new, but almost
Rear-view mirror costs extra
Born to be a classic
Not cheap, but of high quality
Exception: manual transmission
Still contemporary and suitable for everyday use today
Further information

Estimated reading time: 9min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Richard Gere drove a black one as "American Gigolo" in the film of the same name, Jennifer Hart drove a yellow one in the TV series "Hart aber herzlich" and Bobby Ewing chauffeured his wife Pamela around Dallas in a red Mercedes-Benz SL R107. Well-known The open-top Mercedes-Benz 280-560 SL, which was built between 1971 and 1989 and was known internally as the R107, is not only known for its many appearances in films and television. You can still often see it today in normal road traffic, in use as an everyday vehicle. It looks classically elegant today, but appeared ostentatious and oversized when it was presented in 1971.

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