The R129-generation Mercedes-Benz SL debuted for the 1990 model year to tremendous pent-up demand. Its predecessor, the R107, had languished in production for 18 long years, and the new model was a quantum leap in design, engineering, safety, and performance. Delayed nearly a decade while Mercedes focused on its new small sedans (the 190E and 300E), Bruno Sacco’s R129 matured in the studio and emerged as a timeless, sophisticated, and impossibly elegant triumph of industrial design. Better yet, the R129 was as much substance as style, with safety and technical innovations that were a decade or more ahead of most every other car on the road.
Engine
For the U.S. market, the R129 was sold with two different DOHC inline-sixes, two different V-8s, and a V-12. Each model had its charms, but our favorite was the 500SL (a.k.a. the SL500 after Mercedes switched its naming scheme in 1994) with the M119 V-8. Sold between 1990 and 1998, this DOHC 5.0-liter was ultrahigh tech for its day. It even had variable intake-valve timing. Producing 322 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque, the 500SL was capable of period-sports-car acceleration with a muscle-car soundtrack to match.
Value
It takes less than $ 10,000 to buy a presentable V-8 R129; $ 15,000 gets you a really nice one. Special editions and ultralow-mileage examples can fetch considerably more. Don’t be tempted by the less expensive 300SL unless it’s one of the 166 five-speed-manual examples sold in the U.S. We’d also advise against the V-12 models; the R129 wasn’t originally designed for the 12-cylinder, and the big 6.0-liter overwhelms the car with its mass. And it may well overwhelm your bank account with maintenance expenses.
Problem Areas
The R129 was an expensive car when it was new, and parts are expensive today. The engine harness will need to be replaced on most 1993–98 cars, which used biodegradable wire insulation. Some of the hydraulic cylinders that control the power-folding top will eventually fail. Rebuilt cylinders are available from the aftermarket at a reasonable cost. The biggest issue plaguing R129s is that they have been so cheap for so long that they’ve often been severely neglected. Buy a good one or risk bankrupting yourself.
An Owner’s Take
Owner: Derek Tam-Scott
Model: 1991 500SL
Mileage: 47,000
The R129 was a baller’s car then and remains one now. The electrically adjustable rearview mirror is a perfect example of how Mercedes was on top of the world in the early ’90s. This car has magnesium seat frames with integrated seatbelts and power headrests. The SL was designed to be future-proof. All the tech went to people who didn’t appreciate it, because they were wealthy and old and bought it because every touch point was full of sophistication, mechanical and otherwise. It’s mind-blowing how inexpensive these cars are now given how expensive they once were.
From the February 2020 issue.
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