{"id":1991,"date":"2021-08-27T12:08:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-27T10:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/?p=1991"},"modified":"2024-03-21T18:26:03","modified_gmt":"2024-03-21T16:26:03","slug":"mercedes-r129-sl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/1991\/mercedes-r129-sl\/","title":{"rendered":"Mercedes R129 SL, one of the best Sacco-Designs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Mercedes R129 SL: Even after the best-selling <a href=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/1995\/mercedes-r107\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">R107<\/a>, the Mercedes R129 was a great success in the luxury segment of the Stuttgart-based volume manufacturer. Despite six-figure prices, the two-seater became a bestseller and was built for twelve years. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-600SL-1992-1.jpg\" alt=\"Mercedes R129 600SL\" class=\"wp-image-2001\" srcset=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-600SL-1992-1.jpg 750w, https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-600SL-1992-1-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-600SL-1992-1-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Its versatility and suitability for everyday use are still impressive today. Whether sporty cornering, relaxed cruising on country roads or comfortable journeys to distant destinations: The magnificent Mercedes Cabriolet is a true Gran Turismo and has everything it takes to become a friend for life. Its passive safety set standards, and its aesthetic design remains timelessly beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"550\" height=\"367\" src=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-500SL-1993-2-small.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2002\" srcset=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-500SL-1993-2-small.jpg 550w, https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-500SL-1993-2-small-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Mercedes R129 was the first SL with an electrically foldable top<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In the spring of 1989, Daimler-Benz presented the Mercedes R129 at the Geneva Motor Show. It was to replace the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mercedes-Benz_R107_and_C107\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">R107<\/a>, which was showing its age after 18 years of production. It was not only the abundant chrome trim that exposed the classic as a child of the early 1970s. Although it is true that the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=DGqzEZkgOMQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">R107<\/a> was constantly modernized technically, for example with a new six-cylinder engine and V-8 engines made of light alloy, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Anti-lock_braking_system\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ABS<\/a> and modern catalytic converter technology.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"550\" height=\"413\" src=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/49038b.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2003\" srcset=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/49038b.jpg 550w, https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/49038b-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>The R129 was the first SL with integrated seats<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nevertheless, its slightly antiquated character could not be denied. With the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=n-x22QkvdfA&amp;t=5s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">R129<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mercedes-Benz_Group#1926%E2%80%931998:_Daimler-Benz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Daimler-Benz<\/a> skipped an entire generation of vehicles, hence the visual and technical difference from its predecessor was significant.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"550\" height=\"413\" src=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-500SL-UK-1990-small.jpg\" alt=\"Mercedes R129 500SL\" class=\"wp-image-2004\" srcset=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-500SL-UK-1990-small.jpg 550w, https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-500SL-UK-1990-small-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The car was an immediate sales success<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Modern <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Multi-valve\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">four-valve<\/a> engines, plus:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>the space-steering axle<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>the adaptive damping system<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>the automatic roll bar<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>the integral seats and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>the electro-hydraulic top<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>were just a few of the impressive innovations. Although the Mercedes plant in Bremen doubled production in a short time, it was unable to meet demand. The delivery time for the Mercedes R129 SL was initially up to over five years, especially in Europe!<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"550\" height=\"364\" src=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-500SL-1992-small.jpg\" alt=\"Mercedes R129 500SL\" class=\"wp-image-2005\" srcset=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-500SL-1992-small.jpg 550w, https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-500SL-1992-small-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The R129 was significantly improved over its predecessor, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hemmings.com\/classifieds\/cars-for-sale\/classics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">R107<\/a>, especially in terms of torsional rigidity and rust protection. As always, the new roadster was available with a soft top (which operated for the first time electrically) and a hardtop. Starting in 1995, an aluminum coupe roof with glass insert and sun shade was available as an option. In addition, the front and rear skirts as well as the plastic side skirts &#8211; also known as Sacco boards &#8211; were slightly rounder and painted in the body color instead of the previous main color. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"550\" height=\"364\" src=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-SL500-1997-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2006\" srcset=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-SL500-1997-1.jpg 550w, https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-SL500-1997-1-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>The Mercedes R129 saw its first update (MOPF) in 1995<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"550\" height=\"364\" src=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-SL500-1997-2.jpg\" alt=\"Mercedes R129 SL500\" class=\"wp-image-2007\" srcset=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-SL500-1997-2.jpg 550w, https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-SL500-1997-2-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A second Facelift for the Mercedes R129 followed in 1998<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A new front grille and differently designed aluminum wheels completed the new look. The design of the headlights and taillights also changed, and <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Xenon_arc_lamp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Xenon<\/a> lights were available as an option. Inside, the door panels changed, the Mercedes got a new steering wheel and automatic air conditioning was now standard. A second facelift followed three years later, with changes to the front, rear and side skirts, exterior mirrors, rims and steering wheel. The design was clearly adapted to that of its little brother, the Mercedes SLK (<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mercedes-Benz_SLK-Class_(R170)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">R 170<\/a>). Heated seats and leather upholstery were standard from 1998.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"550\" height=\"367\" src=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-SL500-2000.jpg\" alt=\"Mercedes R129 SL500\" class=\"wp-image-2009\" srcset=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-SL500-2000.jpg 550w, https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-SL500-2000-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>The second update occured in 1998<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"550\" height=\"367\" src=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-SL320-1998.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2008\" style=\"width:550px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-SL320-1998.jpg 550w, https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-SL320-1998-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"550\" height=\"413\" src=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-SL600-1998.jpg\" alt=\"Mercedes R129\" class=\"wp-image-2010\" srcset=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-SL600-1998.jpg 550w, https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-SL600-1998-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>Also the steering wheel (here in a UK SL600) saw revisions<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The R 129 was the first Mercedes to feature several new technologies. An important SL safety feature was the automatically folding roll bar, which in the event of a rollover stretched over the passenger compartment in just 0.3 seconds. The reinforced A-pillars are also extremely buckling-resistant. Also new in a Mercedes was the optional <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carbuyer.co.uk\/car-technology\/303870\/what-are-adaptive-dampers-and-how-do-they-work\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Adaptive Damper System<\/a> (ADS). This technology enables permanent automatic level control on all wheels. From 120 km\/h, the system lowers the SL by 20 millimeters. Below 40 km\/h, the electronically controlled hydraulic wheel suspension provides 40 mm more ground clearance.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"550\" height=\"413\" src=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-SL280-1998-UK.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2011\" srcset=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-SL280-1998-UK.jpg 550w, https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-SL280-1998-UK-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the twelve years of production, Mercedes R129 customers had a choice of 13 different engines. The most popular in Europe was the SL320, which produced 231 hp with the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mercedes-Benz_M104_engine\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">M104<\/a> in-line six-cylinder engine. Mercedes installed other in-line six-cylinder engines in the SL280 (M104, 193 hp), the 300SL (<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mercedes-Benz_M103_engine\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">M103<\/a>, 190 hp) and the 300 SL-24 (M104, 231 hp). Starting in 1998, 90-degree V6 engines with three-valve technology replaced the inline six engines, which were inferior to their predecessors in terms of power and smoothness, but were still powerful and economical. The main reasons for the switch to light alloy three-valve V6s were lower production costs compared to inline engines due to the simpler engineering design, and increased safety in the event of a front-end collision.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"550\" height=\"369\" src=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/500SL-2000-designo-interior-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2012\" srcset=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/500SL-2000-designo-interior-2.jpg 550w, https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/500SL-2000-designo-interior-2-300x201.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>For the first time various designo color options became available<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The five-liter V8 <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mercedes-Benz_M119_engine\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">M119<\/a> engines in the 500SL produced 326 hp and were in great demand, especially in the USA. The maximum torque of 450 Nm at the crankshaft gave the roadster an impressive sovereignty.\u00a0 In 1998, the <a href=\"https:\/\/automadesimply.com\/guides\/dohc-16v-engines\/?utm_content=cmp-true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">DOHC<\/a> V8s were replaced by simpler three-valve <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Overhead_camshaft_engine\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">OHC<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mercedes-Benz_M113_engine\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">M113<\/a> engines. This reduced the maximum power by 20 hp to 306 hp. The twelve-cylinder <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mercedes-Benz_M120_engine\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">M120<\/a> engine in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=G2xpAvza1Cs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">600SL<\/a> is particularly impressive at 394 hp. However, the massive aluminum engine block in the rather heavy car puts a strain on the front axle and makes it appear slightly top-heavy. It is also notable for its high fuel consumption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The SL was offered as a Special Edition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Special Editions had never been offered for the SL, but after starting with a Mille Miglia Edition in 1995, Mercedes seemed to have taken a liking to the idea and offered over the years several other editions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>40th Anniversary Roadster Edition (1997)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Special Edition (1998)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Final Edition (2000)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>SL Edition (2000)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>F1 Edition (2001)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Silver Arrow Edition (2002)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"550\" height=\"413\" src=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-SL500-2002-Silver-Arrow.jpg\" alt=\"Mercedes R129\" class=\"wp-image-2968\" style=\"width:550px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-SL500-2002-Silver-Arrow.jpg 550w, https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-SL500-2002-Silver-Arrow-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=V_KCH3Cpwrc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Silver Arrow<\/a> Edition SL500 interior from 2002<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also various country-specific editions for the UK or the US for example were made available throughout the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">For the first time, AMG played a larger role with its own SL offers<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"550\" height=\"366\" src=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-SL73-2000-2.jpg\" alt=\"Mercedes R129 SL73 AMG\" class=\"wp-image-2014\" srcset=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-SL73-2000-2.jpg 550w, https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-SL73-2000-2-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.motortrend.com\/vehicle-genres\/1995-2001-mercedes-benz-sl73-amg-history-details\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SL73<\/a> AMG was the most powerful R129 version<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"550\" height=\"353\" src=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-SL73-2000-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2013\" srcset=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-SL73-2000-1.jpg 550w, https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-SL73-2000-1-300x193.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Those for whom the power of the standard engines was not enough could opt for the AMG models. Both V8 engines were available as SL60 AMG or SL55 AMG with 381 or 354 horsepower. AMG increased the displacement of the twelve-cylinder M120 from six to seven and finally to 7.3 liters. These true monsters in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classic.com\/m\/mercedes-benz\/sl\/r129\/sl-70-amg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SL70<\/a> AMG and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=rozKg7w5OYo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SL73<\/a> AMG delivered 496 and 525 hp and an impressive 720 and 750 Nm respectively. Only 192 of these two versions were built. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2001 the R129 was replaced by the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/1198\/mercedes-r-230-sl\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">R230<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-SL500-grunmetallic-1994.jpg\" alt=\"Mercedes R129 SL500\" class=\"wp-image-2016\" srcset=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-SL500-grunmetallic-1994.jpg 750w, https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-SL500-grunmetallic-1994-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-SL500-grunmetallic-1994-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>If you want to know more about the Mercedes R129 SL and its development and history, you  can read it in my <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/MERCEDES-BENZ-SL-R129-300SL-SL73\/dp\/B092469VJ2\/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.iBJC9qROTXqkkKW6J1qESnJrjsEO3OikXVtdEdiJhmFN4OFpmhXRk1eC1hA0K0-LbQ9WErhol0dSPIF-udJLwLa1U_ojHt54_H8r5o_BOwup6v_tLVfE5ImguzCt1vRA_rfMxH79VnYEM-3wVRxSVBrt8ZaL5L6-q9IZ6bmlYVJ_6gsiRiseXqLIpIb8Ud5faKw6vyUDFLSNjaznnl9BMcICsMEOvgGLlNSAPMw_L_g.aqv_kN7quSDmkaRq9tVvT53i0A3Y-Ew2yiXZe1smQnM&amp;qid=1709033845&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">book<\/a> <\/strong>and e-book. It comes with a comprehensive buyer&#8217;s guide and explains VIN\/FIN and data card in detail. Next to the SL it also covers the special editions and some of the tuners. This link leads you to the US Amazon site, but the title is the same on Amazon sites in other countries. I am sure, you will enjoy the reading.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mercedes R129 SL: Even after the best-selling R107, the Mercedes R129 was a great success in the luxury segment of&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2001,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[49],"class_list":["post-1991","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mercedes-sl","tag-mercedes-sl"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Mercedes R129 SL, one of the best Sacco-Designs<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Mercedes R129 was produced as the successor model to the R107 from 1989 until July 2, 2001. It was one of the most successful SL models.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/1991\/mercedes-r129-sl\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Bernd\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/benz-books.com\\\/blog\\\/1991\\\/mercedes-r129-sl\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/benz-books.com\\\/blog\\\/1991\\\/mercedes-r129-sl\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Bernd\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/benz-books.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/db2ccaf8e56aa817712f8483f7ad7f57\"},\"headline\":\"Mercedes R129 SL, one of the best Sacco-Designs\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-08-27T10:08:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-03-21T16:26:03+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/benz-books.com\\\/blog\\\/1991\\\/mercedes-r129-sl\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1121,\"commentCount\":3,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/benz-books.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/db2ccaf8e56aa817712f8483f7ad7f57\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/benz-books.com\\\/blog\\\/1991\\\/mercedes-r129-sl\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/benz-books.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/Mercedes-R129-600SL-1992-1.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Mercedes SL\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Mercedes SL-Class\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/benz-books.com\\\/blog\\\/1991\\\/mercedes-r129-sl\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/benz-books.com\\\/blog\\\/1991\\\/mercedes-r129-sl\\\/\",\"name\":\"Mercedes R129 SL, one of the best Sacco-Designs\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/benz-books.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/benz-books.com\\\/blog\\\/1991\\\/mercedes-r129-sl\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/benz-books.com\\\/blog\\\/1991\\\/mercedes-r129-sl\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/benz-books.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/Mercedes-R129-600SL-1992-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-08-27T10:08:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-03-21T16:26:03+00:00\",\"description\":\"The Mercedes R129 was produced as the successor model to the R107 from 1989 until July 2, 2001. It was one of the most successful SL models.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/benz-books.com\\\/blog\\\/1991\\\/mercedes-r129-sl\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/benz-books.com\\\/blog\\\/1991\\\/mercedes-r129-sl\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/benz-books.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/Mercedes-R129-600SL-1992-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/benz-books.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/Mercedes-R129-600SL-1992-1.jpg\",\"width\":750,\"height\":500,\"caption\":\"Mercedes R129 600SL\"},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/benz-books.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/benz-books.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Benz-Books\",\"description\":\"Stories, news and pictures of Mercedes-Benz vehicles from the 1950s to the present\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/benz-books.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/db2ccaf8e56aa817712f8483f7ad7f57\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/benz-books.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":[\"Person\",\"Organization\"],\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/benz-books.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/db2ccaf8e56aa817712f8483f7ad7f57\",\"name\":\"Bernd\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/benz-books.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/Mercedes-300S-Roadster-1952.jpg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/benz-books.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/Mercedes-300S-Roadster-1952.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/benz-books.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/Mercedes-300S-Roadster-1952.jpg\",\"width\":750,\"height\":367,\"caption\":\"Bernd\"},\"logo\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/benz-books.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/Mercedes-300S-Roadster-1952.jpg\"},\"description\":\"Hi and thanks for visiting my blog, my name is Bernd S. Koehling. I grew up in the 1950s and 1960s in Northern Germany in a town not too far from the Dutch border. My interest in anything automotive started early on visits to the N\u00fcrburgring with my dad. I grew up with Mercedes cars in my family and an uncle of mine, who had a small collection of pre-war cars, introduced me at the end of the 1960s to vintage cars. From the mid 1970s I started collecting vintage cars himself. Naturally my first such car was a Mercedes, a rather neglected prewar 170V Cabriolet B. Later additions were from a 300d Adenauer, 200D fintail, 250SE, to a 280SE 3.5 Coupe and 350SL. Mercedes cars became a passion I have kept and further developed throughout the years. My other interest are British vintage cars, here especially Alvis and Jaguar. I had collected an Alvis TC 21\\\/100 Grey Lady Tickford DHC from 1954 and various Jaguar saloons. Among them a 420G and a more modern XJ 40 Vanden Plas. So far I have published two printed books and 20 e-books about Mercedes-Benz.\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/www.benz-books.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/benz-books.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/bernd\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Mercedes R129 SL, one of the best Sacco-Designs","description":"The Mercedes R129 was produced as the successor model to the R107 from 1989 until July 2, 2001. It was one of the most successful SL models.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/1991\/mercedes-r129-sl\/","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Bernd","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/1991\/mercedes-r129-sl\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/1991\/mercedes-r129-sl\/"},"author":{"name":"Bernd","@id":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/db2ccaf8e56aa817712f8483f7ad7f57"},"headline":"Mercedes R129 SL, one of the best Sacco-Designs","datePublished":"2021-08-27T10:08:00+00:00","dateModified":"2024-03-21T16:26:03+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/1991\/mercedes-r129-sl\/"},"wordCount":1121,"commentCount":3,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/db2ccaf8e56aa817712f8483f7ad7f57"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/1991\/mercedes-r129-sl\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-600SL-1992-1.jpg","keywords":["Mercedes SL"],"articleSection":["Mercedes SL-Class"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/1991\/mercedes-r129-sl\/","url":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/1991\/mercedes-r129-sl\/","name":"Mercedes R129 SL, one of the best Sacco-Designs","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/1991\/mercedes-r129-sl\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/1991\/mercedes-r129-sl\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-600SL-1992-1.jpg","datePublished":"2021-08-27T10:08:00+00:00","dateModified":"2024-03-21T16:26:03+00:00","description":"The Mercedes R129 was produced as the successor model to the R107 from 1989 until July 2, 2001. It was one of the most successful SL models.","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/1991\/mercedes-r129-sl\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/1991\/mercedes-r129-sl\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-600SL-1992-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-R129-600SL-1992-1.jpg","width":750,"height":500,"caption":"Mercedes R129 600SL"},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/","name":"Benz-Books","description":"Stories, news and pictures of Mercedes-Benz vehicles from the 1950s to the present","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/db2ccaf8e56aa817712f8483f7ad7f57"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/db2ccaf8e56aa817712f8483f7ad7f57","name":"Bernd","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-300S-Roadster-1952.jpg","url":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-300S-Roadster-1952.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-300S-Roadster-1952.jpg","width":750,"height":367,"caption":"Bernd"},"logo":{"@id":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Mercedes-300S-Roadster-1952.jpg"},"description":"Hi and thanks for visiting my blog, my name is Bernd S. Koehling. I grew up in the 1950s and 1960s in Northern Germany in a town not too far from the Dutch border. My interest in anything automotive started early on visits to the N\u00fcrburgring with my dad. I grew up with Mercedes cars in my family and an uncle of mine, who had a small collection of pre-war cars, introduced me at the end of the 1960s to vintage cars. From the mid 1970s I started collecting vintage cars himself. Naturally my first such car was a Mercedes, a rather neglected prewar 170V Cabriolet B. Later additions were from a 300d Adenauer, 200D fintail, 250SE, to a 280SE 3.5 Coupe and 350SL. Mercedes cars became a passion I have kept and further developed throughout the years. My other interest are British vintage cars, here especially Alvis and Jaguar. I had collected an Alvis TC 21\/100 Grey Lady Tickford DHC from 1954 and various Jaguar saloons. Among them a 420G and a more modern XJ 40 Vanden Plas. So far I have published two printed books and 20 e-books about Mercedes-Benz.","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.benz-books.com"],"url":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/author\/bernd\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1991","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1991"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1991\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2971,"href":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1991\/revisions\/2971"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2001"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1991"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1991"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1991"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}