1994 Mercedes-Benz SL - SL 500

Rare and attractive color combination

Delivered new to France

Only two owners to date

Many desirable options

Chassis no.: WDB1290671F102359

Engine no.: 119972-12-010695

Paint: 172 Anthracite Grey Metallic

Interior: 271 Leather anthracite

Factory options:

216 Self-levelling suspension all-around, with adaptive damping system (ADS)

241 Left front seat electrically adjustable with memory feature

242 Right front seat electrically adjustable with memory feature

246 Mirror with memory circuit

281 Steering wheel with sports design (390 mm dia.) and gearshift lever in leather trim

511 Radio MB Exquisit with traffic news decoder (VK), with RDS (Panasonic)

524 Paintcoat preservation

565 Rear seats used on SL models

581 Automatic climate control

600 Headlamp wiper/washer

652 8-hole light alloy rims

740 Black soft-top fabric 9001

826 Vehicles for France, additional parts

873 Seat heater for left and right front seats

Provenance:

02/06/1994 – Unknown, Paris, FR

26/12/1994 – Christian Taillefesse, Deauville, FR

Documents:

French certificat d'immatriculation (1994)

Original service booklet

About the model line:

W 129

When Mercedes-Benz unveiled the new SL at the Geneva Motor Show in the spring of 1989, it marked the end of the R107’s remarkable 18-year production run. Its successor inherited no easy task. Few sports cars had remained in production for so long or achieved such lasting commercial success. Expectations for the new generation were correspondingly high.

Under the direction of Bruno Sacco, a roadster emerged that shared little with its predecessor beyond the name. Clean lines replaced chrome and rounded forms, while flush glazing, broad shoulders and a wedge-shaped silhouette gave the R129 a distinctly modern, almost technical elegance. For the first time, the fully automatic soft top could be raised or lowered at the touch of a button in less than half a minute. Customers seeking even greater comfort could also specify a detachable hardtop, transforming the roadster into an almost coupé-like grand tourer during the winter months.

Beneath the bodywork, the SL entered an entirely new era. An automatically deploying rollover bar made its debut, springing into position behind the seats within fractions of a second whenever it sensed an impending rollover. Driver’s airbag, ABS, ASR, adaptive damping and a host of electronic assistance systems made the R129 one of the safest open-top automobiles of its day. Comfort and sporting ability were no longer regarded as opposing virtues.

Mercedes-Benz offered an equally impressive choice of engines. Refined inline-sixes and effortlessly powerful V8s formed the backbone of the range, before the return of a twelve-cylinder engine in 1992. The 600 SL combined six litres of displacement with 408 horsepower and a level of refinement more reminiscent of a flagship luxury saloon than a traditional sports car. Raw performance was never its defining characteristic. Rather, it was the complete ease with which it reached and sustained the highest speeds.

Throughout its twelve-year production run, the R129 evolved continuously. New generations of engines, a five-speed automatic transmission, xenon headlamps, ESP and countless technical refinements ensured that the roadster remained at the forefront of automotive engineering. The model designation also changed during this period. The 300 SL, 500 SL and 600 SL became the SL 320, SL 500 and SL 600.

More than 204,000 examples were built by the time production ended in 2001. Few Mercedes-Benz models combined the timeless proportions of a classic roadster with such advanced technology. Elegant, exceptionally safe and engineered to last, the R129 remains, for many enthusiasts, one of the finest SLs ever built—an automobile that never felt the need to shout about its sporting credentials, but instead expressed them with effortless confidence.