1995 Mercedes-Benz SL500 Roadster
The Mercedes-Benz SL-Class is a grand touring car manufactured by Mercedes Benz since 1954. The designation SL derives from the German Sportlich-Leicht, which translates to lightweight sport. With unlimited speed limits prevalent in Europe, individuals who owned such cars could quickly travel from point A to point B. This is the true definition of grand touring, meaning traveling in luxury and style at high speed.
For consignment, this nice condition and very sporty SL500 roadster right out of 1995. With a rebuilt and electrically operated convertible top assembly this gives the owner 2 different cars to choose from. All full of options, including alloy wheels, new paint, and conveniences, all wrapped in eye-catching red.
Exterior
Enveloped in a respray of the factory Imperial Red, the exterior of this car looks very nice but is not without a few flaws in the clearcoat, some scuffs on the lower front fascia, and some chips in the finish. A touch of a button and you have the black canvas convertible which remains sight unseen when folded electronically behind the driver and passenger. This top presents as well worn with a few areas of staining and soiling as well as rub through in the canvas and a heavily clouded and torn plastic rear window set. Integrated body matching Imperial Red bumpers, aero inserted and smoothed headlights, a swept back front glass, ribbed tail lights, and we have a sports car in sheep's clothing. Mercedes drilled 16-inch alloy wheels are on all 4 corners shod in deeply treaded black walls and the exterior package is completed with simply stated elegance.
Interior
Tan leather and MB Tex, with plush padding and stitching, allows the driver and passenger an almost endless array of recline, height, memory setting, and stiffness options at the touch of a series of buttons on the door. These buckets have some cracking and tearing in the bolsters and in their front sections. There is a storage area behind the two bucket seats, as well as a fully lined trunk in slightly soiled light tan velour. The doors are lined with a tasteful mixture of light tan leather, molded vinyl, and highly lacquered burl. These doors present some age appropriate wear and soiling and we note the driver's armrest has come loose from its mount. This burl can also be seen in the center console housing the factory Mercedes AM/FM/Cassette player with trunk mounted CD changer, window controls, top actuator as well as the shifter. The dash is a beautiful complimentary tan and brown leather and molded vinyl. Analog gauges keep you informed of all major functions. A leather wrapped sport steering wheel can be adjusted to ergonomic alignment for the driver, no matter what size they are. Manually moving the shifter or simple automatic shift modes can be chosen at the driver's will and a standard and winter/wet driving mode can be had with the flip of a toggle. Tan carpeting covers the floors and is fairly clean while having protective tan carpeted mats on top.
Drivetrain
A 5.0 liter V8 drinks from an electronically controlled fuel injection system. The smooth as silk 5-speed automatic transmission can whisk you efficiently, or sporty down the highway and a 2.65 geared limited slip axle keeps you moving.
Undercarriage
Independent front and rear suspension provide a ride that fools you into exactly how fast or slow you are really traveling. 4-wheel power disc brakes stop this luxury sports car on a dime. A peppering of surface rust is seen on some bolts here and there, but overall clean rust-free stamped metal ground effects panels abound along with lightweight cast aluminum throughout.
Drive-Ability
Nice sounds not only from the engine compartment but also from the stereo system. However, I chose to listen to the engine which performed beautifully with lots of unlimited acceleration, bias free panic stopping, and handling like a sporty sedan should. Even with stale fuel in the tank the car ran well and all else worked fine for the test drive.
A fine example from 1995 Mercedes Benz engineering that has remained timeless. Plenty of options and conveniences adorn this car, and the color combination with the contrast of the exterior red and the wonderful mixture of materials all in the light tan/light brown color way for the interior. Sport luxury can be yours right here at the Classic Auto Mall
