Carter’s post on the Euro market Mercedes-Benz 450SLC had me thinking it was time to revisit a favorite Mercedes of mine. In the wake of rising R107 SL prices, values for its hardtop sibling, the SLC have stayed relatively flat. We have, though, seen a few very choice examples over the past couple years, this low mileage 380SLC being one of them. Model year 1981 would be the last year for the SLC, with the introduction of the 3.8 liter V8 and 3-speed automatic. A total of 3,789 were built, which is rather impressive for just one year. This would be the only four-place Mercedes coupe based on an SL chassis, as the following model year would see the introduction of the much more popular C126 SEC.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1981 Mercedes-Benz 380SLC on eBay
Year: 1981
Model: 380SLC
Engine: 3.8 liter V8
Transmission: 3-speed automatic
Mileage: 20,814 mi
Price: $26,900 Buy It Now
1981 MERCEDES-BENZ 380SLC COUPE
SPECTACULAR CONDITION!
ONLY 20,814 ACTUAL MILES!
LAST YEAR FOR THIS TOP OF THE LINE MODEL!
ONE OF ONLY 3,789 BUILT!
FITTED WITH EVERY OPTION, INCLUDING ELECTRIC SUNROOF AND CLIMATE CONTROL AIR CONDITIONING!
BOOKS, MANUALS, ORIGINAL SPARE AND MORE!
RECENT SERVICE, INCLUDING AN UPDATED DUAL ROW TIMING CHAIN!
GORGEOUS COLOR COMBINATION!
TRULY ONE OF THE NICEST EXAMPLES OF THIS ICONIC MODEL TO BE FOUND ON THE MARKET TODAY!
A COLLECTOR’S DREAM!
Everything old is new again, as several manufacturers have been offering varying shades of brown metallic on their new offerings, similar to the Manganese Brown hue we see on this 380SLC. I do like the color combination, as I think it’s rather fitting for a grand touring coupe. One thing I always have a hard time getting past is the huge crash bumpers on US spec cars. For some reason, they look even more pronounced on this particular car, which could be a result of camera angles. The high end for these late model 380SLCs seems to be glancing around $20,000 these days. Any more and you’d be heading towards 450SLC 5.0 and 500SLC territory. The price for this one is strong, but with so few final year SLCs produced and even fewer left, the market might start trending upwards for these coupes soon.
-Paul
