1978 | Mercedes-Benz 450 SLC 5,0

Top speed: 225 km/h
Registration number: 81-GF-KN

The SLC, as the sports coupé is officially called, celebrated its premiere at the Paris Motor Show in October 1971. Up to the windscreen, the exterior is identical to that of the Roadster. The flat roof extends above the five-seater passenger compartment and ends in a strikingly large, strongly curved and steeply sloping rear window. This gives the rear a relatively long appearance. The boot lid has a slightly convex shape. In the Roadster, however, the boot lid has a concave shape, following the pagoda-like hardtop from which the previous model, the W 113, took its name. In the side view, the length is clearly visible due to the longer wheelbase, 2,820 compared to 2,460 millimetres, and also due to the line of the side windows, which, as is usual in a Mercedes-Benz coupé, are fully retractable, without an obtrusive B-pillar. The SLC had a problem in this area: the short distance between the door and the rear wheel arch required a complicated and therefore potentially malfunctioning tilt-turn mechanism to be able to fully lower the rear side windows. Karl Wilfert found a solution to this dilemma with the very characteristic, double-walled 'look-out panels' with integrated louvres. These later became stylistically controversial and divided the side window into smaller sections, so that the front, movable section could be completely retracted. The louvred side windows and the ribbed rear lights are an idea of ​​Pininfarina and were first seen on a study in 1967.

For the first time, the standard first-aid kit was stored in a special recess under the rear window on this car. This car served as a model for many later Mercedes-Benz models until 1995.

The SLC was offered from 1971 to 1981, first only as 350 SLC, from 3/1973 as 450 SLC, from 1974 as 280 SLC, only in the last year from 8/80 to 7/81 as 380 SLC, from 8/1977 as 450 SLC 5.0 and also only in the last year as 500 SLC, with the same engines and transmission as the Roadster. There was no 420 SLC, because parallel models of the W 126 coupé series were already on the market at that time. An exception was the 450 SLC 5.0 from 1978 to 1980, in which the new five-liter V8 light-alloy engine was introduced for the first time. Furthermore, this car was the first in the 107 series to receive a front spoiler and a rubber lip as a rear spoiler.

The drag coefficient of the SLC turned out to be considerably better than that of the SL, which meant that it achieved slightly better driving performance despite an additional weight of 45 to 50 kilograms. During the ten years of its existence, the SLC has found a total of 62,888 buyers.

The Mercedes SLC presented here is a very well-driving car from 1978. It has only driven 146,900 km and still looks very fresh. The seams all still fit like new and the doors close as one would expect from Mercedes. Under the bonnet we see the powerful 5.0 L engine that has only just been run in. Furthermore, there is beautiful blue leather in it that is still completely good. The automatic gearbox works perfectly. It is a car for the real enthusiast who is looking for the strongest SLC.