This Mercedes-Benz SL450 was provided by Road & Race Automotive
I often think that I was born in the wrong decade. I find myself living in a world that no longer makes sense to me! Honestly, sometimes I think we simply have too much choice. These days we have 10 supermarkets to choose from. Each with 12 different types of white bread. Back in the “good-ol’-days” you could have your coffee black or white. Today coffee has its own menu and its own stores! Buying a car today you can choose from 50 models, each with 8 trim levels and 12 engine options. You can have it in any one of 138 colours with another 70 colours for the interior. Once you’ve bought your car, you’re still not done choosing! You can set different diving modes, change mood lighting, configure your digital dashboard! Your choices are endless!
life was a little simpler
Back in the 70’s, life was a little simpler. The man on a bicycle aspired to a Ford Escort. Ford Escort man was trying to save up enough pennies to upgrade to the Cortina, or even the Granada! But ultimately, if you have made it, if you have truly arrived. There was only one car you bought. The Mercedes-Benz SL.
The Mercedes SL was an absolute icon, it wasn’t an status symbol, it was THE status symbol. Someone stepping out of an SL was never called “buddy”, “mate” or, heavens forbid, “dude”. Step out of an SL and you are greeted as “Sir”. Even people who knew nothing about cars, knew that driving an SL meant something.
there is just so much choice
Today, we don’t really have an equivalent car that everyone seems to aspire to. Probably because there is just so much choice! But in the 70’s and 80’s the SL was the boss. Was it any good though? Was it a choice or simply a lack of options?
Thanks to the kind people at Road and Race Automotive, who lent us this fine example, we got to find out. After spending some time with their SL450, I can confirm it was definitely a choice.
The Mercedes SL looks fast even when standing still
When you approach the car it looks very sleek and powerful, with a long subtly sculpted bonnet. The front end is treated to some lovely chrome brightwork to accent the design details. With the optional hardtop installed, the car looks like a coupe. The car still retains that familiar profile of the boss’s car with the slightly scalloped front arches that make it look fast even when standing still.
From the side it looks like the entire glass-house was just placed on top of the rest of the body, and can just as easily be removed by taking off the hard-top and enjoying open-air motoring. The tail lights and indicator lenses also feature one of my favourite designs from Mercedes over the years. That almost castle like square zig-zag pattern of lines that cross the lights is just a demonstration of how over-engineered their cars were. Simply making those lenses flat or smoother would have been much easier and cheaper, but that wouldn’t say anything about the car.
testament to the quality of Mercedes-Benz
The interior continues to impress with lovely materials and interesting design details. It shows that someone really took their time putting this car together. This is not just another cookie-cutter stamped and bolted car. The fact that this car was built in 1973 and still looks this good inside is testament to the quality of Mercedes-Benz at the time. Nothing feels like it’s about to break, nothing shows any signs of major wear, nothing rattles, wiggles or moves about that shouldn’t. It’s just a very well made car!
Fairly typical of cars in this era, the seats are much softer than anything you would find today. They almost form part of the suspension, and although this doesn’t bode well for lateral support, it is superb in terms of comfort! The steering wheel also feels big compared to modern cars, but gives a fantastic view of the beautiful gauge cluster. Every time I get into a car with a well-crafted gauge cluster I think to myself what a shame it is that this, almost artform, is fading away with LED screens taking over modern cars. These gauges look like a hand-crafted Swiss watch. They are simply wonderful.
lots of meaty low-end torque
Starting the big V8 really tells you everything you need to know about this car. You can hardly hear it start, you can barely notice it settle to idle and once running it is silky smooth. On the move the car is still remarkably quiet. Obviously you can not compare it to modern cars, but it is a very serene and comfortable place to sit whilst wafting around the Southern Suburbs. The engine isn’t a massively powerful thing, but it is very smooth, quiet and has lots of meaty low-end torque. This means in normal driving you are hardly ever likely to even get up to 3000rpm.
If there is a weak point in the driving experience it’s possibly the gearbox, but honestly, even saying that is a little unfair when you consider the age of the car. Yes, the gearbox feels dated, but ONLY because the rest of the car feels so much younger and better than you would expect from something built in 1973.
service history all the way from 1973, right up to today
Overall, the experience is one of relaxed cruising and absolute comfort and luxury. The SL was after all not aimed at boy racers, but at established businessmen who wanted to cover large distances in comfort. A grand tourer of note. This sentiment is echoed especially well by this particular example that boasts a well-documented service history all the way from 1973, right up to today! And don’t assume that this was a garage queen either, this car was definitely used and currently sits at just under 195 000km.
If you are the kind of person who likes to feel like you have arrived; or you appreciate the finer things in life; if you enjoy cars with a story and history; and you have a love of discovering hidden gems that have been meticulously looked after – this may very well be the perfect car for you. In 1973 this car was the ultimate symbol of having made it…. And today, if you are in the know, it still is!
Thanks again to Road & Race Automotive for lending us this stunning example of the SL450 to test for the day. This car is currently for sale through Road & Race and can be viewed on their website HERE!
The driving experience of this car really reminded me of another car I drove that was way ahead of its time, Richard’s stunning S-Type Jaguar, which we featured HERE.
