Mercedes SL R107 & R129: the European SLs America never got

Mercedes sold the SL in America for its entire life, so this is not a page about a car the US never had. It is about the versions the US never had. Between 1971 and 1989 the R107 roadster was built 237,287 times, and roughly two cars in three went to the United States — but always as a 450SL, 380SL or 560SL, with 5-mph bumpers, sealed-beam headlamps and emissions-strangled V8s. Europe got the 280 SL, the 300 SL, the 420 SL and, above all, the 500 SL. The R129 that followed repeated the pattern: the SL 280 and the AMG cars stayed in Europe.

Why Americans want the European SL

The look and the engine. A European R107 has slim bumpers and one-piece headlamp units, the car as Sindelfingen designed it. And where the US 380SL made 155 hp, the European 500 SL made 240 PS from 1980 and 245 PS from 1985. Even the badges are different: the 1972 US “350SL” actually carried the 4.5-litre V8; the real 3.5 never crossed the Atlantic.

What the US never got

R107 roadster (1971–1989)

• 500 SL (1980–1989), 5.0 V8, 240 PS then 245 PS, 11,812 built.
• 280 SL (1974–1985), M110 twin-cam six, 185 PS, 25,436 built.
• 300 SL (1985–1989), 3.0 six, 188 PS, 13,742 built.
• 420 SL (1985–1989), 4.2 V8, 218 PS, 2,148 built — the rarest R107.
• 350 SL with the real 3.5 V8 (1971–1980), 200 PS, 15,304 built.
• European-spec 450 SL and 380 SL: 225 PS and 218 PS, against 190 hp and 155 hp for the US cars.

The reverse is true too: the 560 SL was built for North America, Japan and Australia and was never sold in Europe.

R129 (1989–2001)

• SL 280 (1993–2001), 193 PS six, then 204 PS V6 from 1998. Never sold in the US.
• 300 SL with the 12-valve six (190 PS). The US 300SL had the 24-valve engine.
• SL 60 AMG, 381 PS, listed by Mercedes in Germany from 1993. No AMG version of the R129 appears in the US price lists.
• SL 70 AMG and SL 73 AMG, V12 cars built in very small numbers. Many cars sold under these names are conversions: the paperwork decides.

Eligible years (25-year rule)

Every R107 is eligible. For the R129, the 25 years run from the month of manufacture on the build plate: in October 2026, every car built before October 2001 qualifies, which is almost all of them. Late cars sold as model year 2002 need the date checked one by one.

What to look for

• Rust (R107): the front and rear wheel arches, the jacking points, the floor under the battery and the boot floor. A European car that lived in the south is usually the better starting point.
• Timing chain (R107 V8s): early single-row chains and their plastic guides are a known weakness. Ask when the chain and guides were done.
• Hydraulic hood and roll bar (R129): the top and the automatic roll bar run on hydraulics. Cycle both several times before you pay.
• Wiring harness (early R129): some early-1990s harnesses break down with age. Check that every electric function works.
• AMG claims: a real SL 60 AMG has the AMG engine and its documents. Body kits and badges are easy to add.

Typical landed price

From a German seller, with 10% duty at the rate in effect on entry, all fees included and delivered at Baltimore:

• 500 SL (R107): about €45,000 in Europe for a good car → roughly $73,000.
• 280 SL (R107): about €25,000 → roughly $44,000.
• SL 280 (R129): about €22,000 → roughly $39,500.
• SL 60 AMG (R129): about €80,000 → roughly $124,500.

Long Beach adds about $500 to $1,000. European asking prices checked in October 2026; run your own figures with our landed-cost calculator.

Registration notes

• California: every R107 and R129 was built after 1967. CARB laboratory certification applies to gasoline cars built after 1967: California registration not guaranteed for vehicles built after 1967.
• Fuel: gasoline.
• Federal: exempt from FMVSS at 25 years. EPA exempts the car in its original configuration; an engine swap must use the same engine model.
• Title: a US title in your name; the state where you register decides the rest. See our state-by-state guide.

Our take

If you simply want an SL, buy one in America: there are plenty, and they cost less. Import the European car for what America never had — the 500 SL with slim bumpers, the twin-cam 280 SL, the R129 SL 280 or a documented AMG. That is where the extra cost buys something.

FAQ

Was the Mercedes 500 SL R107 sold in the United States?
No. The US received the 450SL, the 380SL and, from 1986, the 560SL. The 500 SL was a European model, built from 1980 to 1989 (11,812 cars).

What is the difference between a European and a US R107?
European cars have slim bumpers and one-piece headlamp units; US cars have the large 5-mph bumpers and four round sealed-beam lamps. European engines were also more powerful: 218 PS for a European 380 SL against 155 hp for the US version.

Can I import a Mercedes SL R129 to the USA?
Yes, once the car is 25 years old from its month of manufacture — in October 2026, any car built before October 2001. The SL 280 and the AMG versions are the ones worth importing; the others were sold new in the US.

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