The Mercedes SL of the R107 series is a sheet metal manifesto of timeless elegance that still casts its spell 50 years after its premiere. But the roadster not only looks beguiling, it also anticipated many safety aspects of the following models. Driving is and remains an event.
When the Mercedes SL of the 107 series saw the light of day 50 years ago, the onlookers crowded around the bonnet of the roadster. Because under the long snout of the classic a turning point manifested itself: for the first time eight pots did work. Pure smoothness made the topless Swabian immediately an object of desire for the rich and beautiful. The enchanting actress Uschi Glas beamed behind the wheel, just like the hit man Peter Maffay, the gigantic world star Curd Jürgens immediately fell in love with the automobile, as did the “bomber of the nation” soccer star Gerd Müller. It almost seemed as if the SL no longer stood for “super light”, but for “super luxurious”.
But the new SL was one thing above all: safe. “That was not a car to drive around the corner on the last groove”; says Frank Knothe. Safety came first. Especially in the USA, the most important market for the star roadster, convertibles based on Ralph Nader’s book “Unsafe At Any Speed” were criticized. The shock waves were also clearly felt in the Ländle. “We pulled out all the stops. That was a difficult time in terms of the accident”; recalls Frank Knothe. Because the vehicle was supposed to do without a roll bar, the new SL was given an extremely stiff A-pillar. The windshield glued into the frame was also part of the safety concept that was supposed to protect the occupants in the event of a rollover. If it still rattled, the interior was provided with foamed surfaces, and there were also defined crumple zones. “The 107 is a statement of safety and has anticipated a lot,” muses Knothe.
There was no way Mercedes wanted to take any chances. If the R107 had failed the safety tests, the damage to its image would have been immense. “There was still pounding. The R107 has sheet metal thickness, you wouldn’t believe that. It’s three millimeters on the sill,” explains Frank Knothe. But the tin was not enough. The R107 got the corrugated taillights so that the dust and dirt could not get stuck. True to the motto: see and be seen.
In order to avoid tricky situations in the first place, the engineers installed a semi-trailing arm pendulum rear axle and for the first time placed the tank above the rear axle. After all, the R107 should go a step further in terms of driving dynamics than the W113 series, the famous pagoda. This also included stronger brakes than on the predecessor. They were also necessary, because the 500 series of the first series pushed 177 kW / 240 PS from eight pots.
Exactly in this car from 1982 we take a trip and immediately after the first few meters we feel like the beautiful Dallas boy Bobby Ewing, who in the 1980s hit series as the son of an oil millionaire in such an SL R107 turned the heads of women. This SL is still an experience after 50 years. With this roadster you are decoupled from the buzzing three- and four-cylinder wasps that populate the streets. You don’t sprint to the next traffic light, you glide and enjoy the smoothness of the five-liter engine. The gentleman glider leans politely when it comes to the curves, but that suits this SL, which is simply too fine for the uncompromising hunt. That was the case then and even more so today. Accordingly, the four-speed automatic also acts cautiously. Every meter is reminiscent of pure pleasure driving. No wonder that the Mercedes SL of the R107 series was built for 18 years.
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
