Mercedes-Benz · 1971–1981

Mercedes-Benz R107 and C107

The Mercedes-Benz R107 and C107 are grand tourers which were produced by Mercedes-Benz from 1971 until 1989, being the second longest single series ever produced by the automaker after the G-Class. They were sold under the SL (R107) and SLC (C107) model names in a variety of names indicating the displacement of the engines. The R107/SL was a two-seat convertible with a detachable roof. During its production run, the R107 was the only roadster offered by Mercedes-Benz, as it replaced the W113 SL-Class in 1971 and was replaced by the R129 SL-Class in 1989. The C107/SLC was a four-seat car with a fixed roof and an optional sliding steel sunroof. It replaced the W111 Coupé in 1971 and was in turn replaced by the C126 S-class coupé in 1981. The predecessor W113 was notably successful in North America, with 19,440 units (40%) of 48,912 total units sold in the US. The R107 and C107 were even more focused on the American market, with specialized engines, bumper designs, headlights, and emissions management designs. The R107 and C107 sold 204,373 units in the US (68%) of 300,175 total units sold (excluding grey market sales into the US).

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

All Mercedes-Benz R107 and C107 data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

Model history

The R107 and C107 took the chassis components of the midsize 1968 Mercedes-Benz W114 model and mated them initially to the M116 and M117 V8 engines used in the W108, W109 and W111 series. The body styles for both R107 and C107 did not change materially from introduction in 1971 to their end of production in 1981 (coupé) and 1989 (soft-top) respectively. The SL (R107) variant was a 2-seat convertible/roadster with standard soft-top, with optional winter hardtop and only rarely ordered very small rear bench-seat. The SLC (C107) derivative was a 2-door hardtop coupé, on a 36 cm (14.2 in) longer wheelbase, and with normally sized rear seats. The SLC was the first and only time that Mercedes-Benz based their S-class coupé on a stretched SL roadster platform, rather than on a large S-class saloon. The SLC replaced the former saloon-based 280/300SE coupé in the Mercedes lineup, while there was no two-door version of the W116. The SLC model run ended in 1981, much earlier than the SL. It was replaced by the considerably larger 380SEC and 500SEC, once again derived from the 1980 S-class line. Volume production of the first R107 car, the 350SL, started in April 1971 alongside the last of the W113 cars; the 350SLC followed in October. The early 1971 350SL are very rare and were available with an optional 4 speed fluid coupling automatic gearbox. The 1971 4sp auto were quick cars for the day with 0-60 mph in 8 seconds. In addition, the rare 1971 cars were fitted with Bosch electronic fuel injection. European models and engines. The 350SL and 350SLC for the European market used a 3.5 liter V8 engine. From July 1974 both SL and SLC could also be ordered with a fuel-injected 2.8L straight-6 as 280SL and 280SLC. Initially all cars had the Bosch D Jetronic fuel injection system, an

Motorsport

=== 450SLC 5.0 === In 1978 the factory prepared two examples for the one-off Vuelta a la América del Sur, a month-long event of some 7,000 kilometres in length that took the competitors from Buenos Aires and back via Rio, Manaus, Caracas, Bogota, Lima, La Paz, Santiago and Ushuaia. The car driven by Andrew Cowan and Colin Malkin won by 20 minutes from team-mates Sobiesław Zasada and Andrzej Zembrzuski. In 1979 a 5.0-litre 450SLC driven by Hannu Mikkola won the Bandama Rally in Côte d'Ivoire, with others finishing 2nd, 3rd and 4th. That same year the factory had used the 450SLC '5.0' to contest the Safari Rally, only narrowly missing out on victory because of suspension breakages. Nevertheless, the car driven by Hannu Mikkola finished 2nd. Results in 1980 were worse, and the factory team was disbanded at the season's end. An Albert Pfuhl proceeded to buy all six cars, equipment, and spare parts from the works team. Pfuhl and his team built a series of cars to compete in the 1984 Paris–Dakar Rally with a white and blue "BOSS" livery. The cars finished well down the order.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Mercedes-Benz SL (R107) and SLC (C107)
Manufacturer: Mercedes-Benz (Daimler-Benz)
Production: April 1971 – March 1989 (SL), October 1971 – September 1981 (SLC), 300,175 built
Model years: 1971–1989 (SL, 237,287 built), 1972–1981 (SLC, 62,888 built)
Predecessor: Mercedes-Benz W113 (SL), Mercedes-Benz W111 (coupé)
Successor: Mercedes-Benz R129 (SL), Mercedes-Benz C126 (coupé)
Class: Sports car/Grand tourer
Body style: two-door roadster, two-door coupé
Layout: FR layout
Related: Mercedes-Benz W114
Assembly: West Germany: Sindelfingen, South Africa: East London (CKD)
Engine: 2.8 L M110 I6 (SL, SLC), 3.0 L M103.980 I6 (SL), 3.5 L M116.980 V8 (SL, SLC), 3.8 L M116.980 V8 (SL, SLC), 4.2 L M116.980 V8 (SL), 4.5 L M117.982 V8 (SL, SLC), 5.0 L M117.960 V8 (SL, SLC), 5.6 L M117.967 V8 (SL)
Transmission: Automatic:, 3-speed 722.0 350/450SL/SLC, 4-speed 722.1 280SL/SLC, 4-speed 722.2 350SL/SLC 450SLC, 4 speed 4G-TRONIC, Manual:, 4-speed (280/350SL/SLC), 5-speed (280/300SL/SLC)
Wheelbase: SL: 2460 mm, or 2455 mm, SLC: 2820 mm, or 2815 mm
Length: SL: 4390 mm, US: 4630 mm, SLC: 4750 mm, US: 4990 mm, 560 SL: 4580 mm
Width: 1790 mm
Height: SL: 1290 mm, SLC: 1330 mm
Kerb weight: 3494 lb
Designer: Joseph Gallitzendörfer; Friedrich Geiger (1968)