1994 Mercedes-Benz SL 500

Sammlung Sonderklasse - Auction

Lot 033: 1994 Mercedes-Benz SL 500

Vehicle description

RARE AND ATTRACTIVE COLOR COMBINATION

DELIVERED NEW TO FRANCE

ONLY TWO OWNERS TO DATE

MANY DESIRABLE OPTIONS

Technical details

Year: 1994

Chassis N°: WDB1290671F102359

Engine N°: 119972-12-010695

Paint: 172 ANTHRACITE GREY METALLIC

Interior: 271 LEATHER ANTHRACITE

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.

Auction information

Auction: 07 November 2026, 14:00

Auction house: Humer Granner & Co

Starting price: 6,000 EUR

Reserve: No reserve

Viewing: 05. November 2026 10:00 – 18:00, 06. November 2026 09:00 – 18:00, 07. November 2026 ab 09:00

Location: Gewerbeparkstraße 17, 4101 Feldkirchen an der Donau, AT

Bidding: In person · Online live · Telephone · Written bid

Auction registration: Schriftliches Kaufangebot, Als Telefonbieter, Online - live

Contact: Wolfgang Humer, +43 650 7262524 / Reinhard Granner, +43 699 17127272

About the auction

This Mercedes-Benz is part of the Sammlung Sonderklasse, one of the largest private Mercedes-Benz collections in Europe. The entire collection will be auctioned from 5 to 7 November 2026 in Feldkirchen an der Donau, Austria. All 83 cars are offered without reserve.

The collection also includes around 1,000 automobilia items and several fully furnished rooms, which will be auctioned on 6 and 7 November by Ni-Cola Classics. Please note that if you want to bid on automobilia, you must register in advance at nicola-ac.de. You can also view all lots at https://auction.nicola-ac.de/

The car auction starts on Saturday 7 November at 14:00, and you can bid in person or online. The cars can be viewed on Thursday 5 November from 10:00 to 18:00. Please note that if you want to bid on this car, you must register in advance with Humer Granner at https://hg.auction/auktionen/auktion-november-2026/.

You can order the catalogue at metropole-auction.com. It also serves as your admission ticket for two people. The catalogue does not replace registration with the auction house.

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