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The C107 is to me a very strange car, yet I’m often compelled to look at them. They’re certainly not the prettiest or best proportioned Mercedes-Benz product and the attempt to make a Grand Touring coupe out of a roadster was perhaps a bit too ambitious. Yet sometimes I see one and am captivated by the look; long, low and with a tremendous amount of presence, the C107 demands attention even if it’s not the best looker. This is especially true of the European versions, which had the trifecta of being more powerful, a little bit lighter and were all-around better looking. Throw in some period wheels and a body kit from a respected tuner and the results can be great as shown by this first model year Euro example:
It would be easy to assume that AMG didn’t breath on the R107 chassis, instead focusing on the coupes and sedans that made them famous. The feel of the roadster is decidedly different and more cruiser than the Autobahn destroyers that the company produced. But AMG did produce parts for the SL – it’s just that not many were modified in the same vein as their stablemates. When properly presented, though, they do manage to channel AMG’s best qualities well. Subtle upgrades all around led to a more aggressive aesthetic, but not one that was ever over the top. And the SL remained one of the few premium convertibles you could buy in the 1980s, so unless you undertook an expensive conversion to a coupe, the topless R107 was a natural choice for the well-to-do who also loved wind in their hair. Yet most of these SLs ended up primarily as appearance packages – but they still make a statement:
When the R107 SL first debuted, few could have imagined this roadster would have lasted in production for another eighteen years. This transformative roadster placed more emphasis on comfort and luxury than “sport and light” as its predecessor, the W113 had. Somehow, though, the R107 struck a chord with buyers and became a symbol of status and upward mobility for years to come, appearing prominently in television series and movies alike. This 1972 350SL represents the very beginning for the R107, painted in a rare hue of Reed Green with matching hubcaps, complimenting the early, slim bumper look quite nicely.
Even despite it’s somewhat awkward proportions, I was always a fan of the Mercedes-Benz C107 SLC. This car lasted barely for a decade before it was pulled in favor of the S-class SEC coupe that debuted in the early 1980s. Somehow, the SLC is relegated to a rather curious position in Mercedes-Benz history as the only four-place coupe to be based off the SL roadster. This 450SLC for sale in California is about as good as they come these days, in a very eye-catching combination of Astral Silver over red leather. If you want the style and grace of an R107 but perhaps don’t want the convertible or the higher entry cost of the 560SL, you should spend some time looking at a car like this.
While prices of the E24, 928 and Mercedes-Benz C126 models continue to rise, the C107 still offers plenty of Mercedes-Benz build quality, some racing heritage and European style on an affordable budget. The styling of the big coupe isn’t for everyone, but European models such as this 380SLC really clean up the lines in my mind. On top of that, it features the hotter Euro 380 motor with 215 horsepower – some 60 more than the U.S. version. With a price drop of $3,000 since this summer to a Buy It Now of $11,900, this looks like a very clean example that offers a lot of unique, classic car for the money.
The below post originally appeared on our site June 19, 2015:
