West Coast Classics are proud to present an absolutely exceptional example of this very rare and ultra low production 1972 Mercedes-Benz 450SL roadster with only 88K original miles; a US import with the attractive European small chrome bumpers before the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration enforced bumper regulations incorporating stronger energy absorbing bumpers without regard to aesthetics for safety reasons. Introduced in 1972, this particular example is an early US specification car and is thus equipped with the significantly more attractive small chrome bumpers that were fitted to all European cars.
Sold new in Germany on 9/13/1972 to it's original and long time southern California fastidious owner who imported the car to California the same year and where it was subsequently serviced at 'Beverly Hills Mercedes-Benz' of Beverly Hills, CA. The car will be sold with all original handbooks, service warranty manual, maintenance booklet etc and was reportedly always primarily serviced at Mercedes specialists and dealers since new with every indication showing that this car was always well maintained and serviced on schedule. The car was reportedly owned by the same family owner until earlier this year and kept in a climate controlled facility until we recently acquired the car.
The car's original factory options included:
BEHR Air Conditioning
Central Locking
Right Outside Mirror
Becker Europa AM/FM Radio (Replaced with Blaupunkt)
Electric Front Windows
Tinted Glass
Dark Blue Soft Top
Floor Mats
Padded Leather Dashboard
Padded Steering Wheel
Three Speed Automatic Transmission
The factory original 'Metallic Blue' (color code 387) color paint is in extraordinarily fine condition and still reflects like glass. The original 'Dark Blue' color interior is also in gorgeous shape with virtually no signs of any wear. The car has it's original factory matching German canvas 'Dark Blue' soft top and it's factory 'Metallic Blue' hardtop which is also in pristine condition.
The car drives exactly like such a well maintained and serviced Mercedes should and must be seen and driven to be truly appreciated. The engine is extremely strong with no noticeable oil leaks, the transmission shifts smoothly through the gears and the temperature always remains cool.
In 1972 Mercedes-Benz first offered the new R107 series SL model in the US. It would go on to be the longest production run of the SL series until 1990. The 350SL first entered production in Europe in 1970 with a 3.5L engine and first was imported to the US in 1972 as the 3.5L 350SL in very low numbers until late 1972 when the 4.5L 450SL was introduced. Whilst the previous W113 6 cylinder 'Pagoda' SL models were certainly beloved and collected, this new R107 marked a significant advancement in both styling and sophistication, being at once longer and more imposing, bigger, more luxurious and with the new low compression V8 engine matched to a robust steel frame, making it at once more planted to the road with a heavier rock steady stance with superb power and acceleration to match for sustained high speed driving with a top speed of over 120mph.
Without doubt, this is one of the finest classically beautiful roadster designs built by Mercedes-Benz, probably the last classically beautiful convertible series they built and now becoming more desirable and collectible than ever before - certainly you will look long and hard to find a finer head-turning extraordinarily rare and low production early model 1972 450SL example with low original miles with the attractive small European chrome bumpers anywhere else!
