Brian Long - Mercedes-Benz SL

First printed in hardback format in 2013.

First published in ebook format 2019 by Veloce Publishing Limited, Veloce House, Parkway Farm Business Park, Middle Farm Way, Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 3AR, England Fax 01305 250479 e-mail .

Ebook edition ISBN: 978-1-787116-33-7

Hardback edition ISBN: 978-1-845844-48-6

Brian Long and Veloce Publishing 2019. All rights reserved. With the exception of quoting brief passages for the purpose of review, no part of this publication may be recorded, reproduced or transmitted by any means, including photocopying, without the written permission of Veloce Publishing Ltd. Throughout this book logos, model names and designations, etc, have been used for the purposes of identification, illustration and decoration. Such names are the property of the trademark holder as this is not an official publication.

Readers with ideas for automotive books, or books on other transport or related hobby subjects, are invited to write to the editorial director of Veloce Publishing at the above address.

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Contents

Introduction & Acknowledgements

Introduction

Its hard to believe, but the R129 series Mercedes-Benz SL was launched over 20 years ago, the series running from 1989 to 2001. However, its timeless styling has kept it fresh and attractive in the eyes of a new generation of enthusiasts, as well as those returning to the car having owned one when they were still in dealerships.

A combination of superb original design, peerless engineering and build quality simply add to the desirability of this series of classic German machines, and have ensured that many of these cars can still be seen in regular use today.

This book covers the R129 story in all major markets, year by year, to give a definitive overview of the production cars, as well as limited edition models and the AMG line. Contemporary photography sourced from the factory and augmented by other material gathered from around the world ensures an excellent guide for those looking for originality. Extensive appendices are included, covering engine specifications from 1989 onwards, chassis numbers, build numbers, and so on. To complete the story, theres also a brief overview of the vehicles replacement in the final chapter.

By the way, this title can be read as a single volume or in conjunction with the two earlier SL books published by Veloce (covering the W113 cars and the 107 series SL and SLC). The photography is completely different from book to book, and all three titles have been presented in such a way that they will readily grace any reference library shelf or a connoisseurs coffee table.

Acknowledgements

In this day and age of commerce coming a long way ahead of enthusiasm, not just in the car world, but in the vast majority of hobby activities and life in general, it is truly refreshing to work with Daimler AG a company, like Porsche (its neighbour in Stuttgart), that values its heritage, and treats owners of older vehicles of the marque with the same respect as an owner of a brand new car.

As with the authors earlier SL books, help came from many quarters during this project. I would particularly like to record my sincere appreciation for the services of Gerhard Heidbrink, Dennis Heck, Dr Hans Spross and Maria Feifel at Daimler AG in Stuttgart, as well as their colleagues from many years earlier Max Gerrit von Pein and Dr Harry Niemann. Many thanks also to Diane Vatchev of Mercedes-Benz USA, for her sterling work and unstinting support, and for once again coming to the rescue on the American side of the story.

Although there are many others that have helped and supported me with this project, special mention should be made of Elif Yilmaz at EVO Eitel & Volland GmbH, who looks after older technical publications for the Mercedes-Benz Classic Collection, Kenichi Kobayashi at Miki Press, Rob Halloway at Mercedes-Benz UK, and Peter Patrone, Robert Moran and Benjamin Benson at the head office in the States.

Brian Long

Chiba City, Japan

The three-pointed star

There can be few trademarks so readily recognizable in all corners of the world as the Mercedes-Benz three-pointed star. The three arms signify the land, sea and air, and the Stuttgart company the star has come to represent has indeed conquered each in its own inimitable way over the years. The story behind the star, though, is a long and complicated one, so this chapter will briefly outline the brands history to set the scene before the arrival of the first SL models.

The story starts with two men two pioneers in the motor industry Gottlieb Daimler, and Carl Benz. Amazingly, given the pre-eminence of the pair in a fledgling trade, not to mention their closeness geographically, the two never actually met, but the coming together of their names is the important thing here.

In 1882, Gottlieb Daimler established a small workshop at the back of his villa in Cannstatt, on the outskirts of Stuttgart, about 12 miles (20km) west of his birthplace, with Maybach working alongside him. A number of single-cylinder, air-cooled petrol engines were duly developed, and used to power the worlds first motorcycle in 1885, along with a four-wheeled horseless carriage, which made its initial runs during the autumn of 1886. Within a short space of time, the engines were finding various applications on land, on water, and even in the air. By 1890, the products emanating from the Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft had caught the imagination of the engineering world.

Meanwhile, about 55 miles (90km) north in Mannheim, Carl Benz was busy working on his two-stroke petrol engines, as patents covering four-stroke power-units had already been filed by the Deutz concern, the company Daimler worked for. Eventually, Benz also opted for Otto-cycle engines, putting a single-cylinder unit in a purpose-built frame to produce the worlds first petrol-driven car, patented in January 1886. By 1890, Benz & Co was Germanys second largest engine manufacturer, and, as the century drew to a close, one of the worlds most prolific automobile makers, with almost 600 cars built in 1899 alone.

A healthy rivalry

At the end of the day, Daimler and Benz were rival inventors, while the companies bearing their names fought in the showrooms and on the race tracks of Europe. The battle for the hearts of the rich and famous, and the silverware that comes with victory in competition, was never as fierce as it was in the years leading up to the First World War.

At Daimler, rapid expansion led to the purchase of a large site in Untertrkheim on the eastern edge of Stuttgart in August 1900, which would duly become the spiritual home of Mercedes-Benz.

The Mercedes moniker was first adopted by Emil Jellinek, an Austrian who, among other things, sold Daimlers to wealthy clients in the south of France. Jellinek was a clever businessman, and he proposed a number of changes that he knew would appeal to his customers and his own sporting nature, such as a lower body and longer wheelbase in order to cope with the greater power outputs he outlined.