Mercedes-Benz 600 SL R129
Year of Manufacture: 1992
Power: 394 hp
Engine Displacement: 5,987 cm3
Number of Cylinders/Valves: 12/4
Weight: 1,980 kg
Condition: excellent
Catalog Number: 7
Introduction
Mercedes-Benz has been producing roadster-type cars since the mid-1950s. There were several predecessors to the “Pagoda,” but the direct predecessor was the R107 generation.
Development
After the 1954 Gullwing, the world welcomed the Pagoda in the 1960s, followed by the R107 generation. This model became famous not only as a coupe version but especially because it managed to stay in production for an astonishing eighteen years. The individual generations of the two-seat roadster always had a long lifecycle, but one of the most popular and best-selling was the fourth generation (R129), introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 1989. It was the last Mercedes to carry the “gullwing” designation 300 SL.
The car was designed by Bruno Sacco, who aimed to create a living legend. The then company director Werner Niefer was also deeply involved in the development; he developed a warm relationship with the R129, even calling it his favorite. It’s no surprise – he spent an incredible amount of time and mileage behind the wheel of the test prototypes, fine-tuning every detail.
Technical Specifications
The car boasted over twenty patented features, the most interesting of which concerned the safety of the two-seat occupants. For example, the deployable rollover protection bar behind the seats, which today’s convertibles commonly have, made its debut in this “SL.” It could deploy within 0.3 seconds in the event of a rollover to protect the occupants’ heads from scraping the asphalt. Compared to its predecessor, the torsional rigidity of the body was significantly improved, reportedly by 30%. It reached the same levels as Mercedes sedans, so the roofless car did not twist. Diagonal struts further enhanced driving dynamics.
Other firsts in the production “Pagoda” included self-retracting three-point seat belts mounted in comfortable seats with a rigid support frame made of five magnesium castings, which partially absorbed unwanted forces acting on occupants during a side impact.
In summer 1992, Mercedes-Benz introduced a new top model: the 600 SL with a V12 engine producing 290 kW (394 hp). This was the first SL equipped with a twelve-cylinder engine. From the outside, only the model badge and the V12 emblem on the air outlet slits indicated the engine.
At the 1995 Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA), the Stuttgart brand presented a facelifted SL. Exterior changes included a grille with six slats, consistently white front lighting units, bichromatic rear lights, and new side skirt trims. Technical upgrades included a new electronically controlled five-speed automatic transmission for the 500 SL and 600 SL models. Under the motto “light from gas,” Mercedes-Benz introduced new xenon headlights, whose light output was twice that of conventional halogen bulbs.
The facelifted SL also premiered a new panoramic glass roof made of four panels of varying thicknesses, connected to a supporting aluminum structure. This option became available from 1996.
The last facelift came in spring 1998 and featured updates to the six- and eight-cylinder engine portfolio along with light design tweaks (new mirrors, 17-inch wheels, and modified bumpers). The lineup started again with the SL 280 producing 204 hp, continued with the SL 320 at 224 hp, and peaked with the V8 SL 500 at 306 hp. Missing at the time were newer six-liter V12 engines, while the strongest version was the existing SL 60 AMG. One year later, the SL 55 AMG with a V8 and 354 hp replaced it. The absolute top of the portfolio was the brutal SL 73 AMG, boasting 525 hp from a 7.3-liter V12.
In July 2001, the last model of the R129 series rolled off the production line in Bremen. Mercedes-Benz produced a total of 204,940 units of the fourth-generation SL. The most successful model was the 500 SL/SL 500 with the four-valve M119 V8 engine. Between launch and 1998, a total of 79,827 units of this model were produced.
