The Mercedes SL R129
When you visit our webshop you are probably one of the following two persons. Or you are a true R129 lover or you work in a garage with the SL R129 and are looking for parts to fix it. Perhaps it is nice to get to know a bit more about this special car from Mercedes. The Mercedes SL R129.
Introduction first SL
In 1952 Mercedes Benz introduced the first SL, Initially first only used for racing. But after huge interest also produced for the ordinary consumer.
Trough out the years allot was changed about this car. The SL changed from a sports car in to a sporty convertible. Besides the SL convertible Mercedes also made a Coupe SLC in that time.
Productie van de R129
In 1989 the basic W107 was replaced by the Mercedes Benz W129 series (officially known as the R129) These were produced until 2001. Approximately 200.000 SL’s were made, perhaps you are one of the lucky owners! In 2001 the R129 was followed by the R230.
The different models
In 1989 there were three different engines:
- 300SL with a M103 engine 3.0 Liter 12-valve SOHC 6 cilinder line engine with 140kW (190hp) at 5700 tpm.
- 300SL-24 with a M104 3.0 Liter 24-valve DOHC 6 cilinder line engine met 170kW (231hp) at 6300 tpm.
- 500SL with a M119 5.0 Liter 32-valve DOHC V8 with 240kW (326hp) at 5500 tpm.
From July 1992 they added.
- 600SL with a M120 6.0 Liter 48-valve DOHC V12 with 289kW (389hp) at 5200 tpm
In the first years you could choose from a 5-speed manual transmission, a 4-course automatic or a 5-speed automatic (only 300SL-24).
In the fall of 1993 names and models were reclassified. The 300SL was replaced by the:
- SL280 with a M104 2.8 Liter 24-valve DOHC 6 cilinder line engine with a 145kW (197hp) at 5500 tpm.
- SL320 with a M104 3.2 Liter 24-valve DOHC 6 cilinder line engine with 161kW (219hp) at 5500 tpm.
Only the SL280 was stil available with manual gearbox. The V8 and V12 models kept the same engines but their names changed to SL500 and SL600 (before 500SL and 600SL). At the end of 1998 the engines were changed again:
- SL280 with a M112 2.8 Liter 18-valve SOHC V6 with 150kW (204hp) at 5700 tpm.
- SL320 with M112 3.2 Liter 18-valve SOHC V6 met 165kW (224hp) at 5600 tpm.
- SL500 with a M113 5.0 Liter 24-valve SOHC V8 with 225kW (306hp) at 5600 tpm.
De V12 engine remained unchanged.
The R129 was a real tour de force for 1989! Alle electrical gadgets were a huge luxury for that time, the demand for the R129 was high. Even so big that Mercedes could not keep up production and the waiting times were easily one year! The few lucky ones that were able to get a car in a reasonable time could easily sell the car with a profit of 5000 Deutsche mark!
(Source: Wikipedia)
