1979 Mercedes 450 Slc 5.0 Rare Classic Coup on 2040-cars

Notes regarding this auto:

1. It runs and drives well, and would seem to me to be capable of any travel you might ask of it. In fact, it has impressive power and kick. It is however a 35 year old auto, and in keeping with that age....regular maintenance is expected. I ceased driving it about 6 years ago, and other than short drives of 20 miles or so each six months, it has simply been stored in my garage. The tires have less than 500 miles use. New Battery.

2. Known defects include: 1. Both drivers and passenger side rocker panels are rusty. 2. The A/C & Heat Servo is not working (not leaking though). 3.It has a quarter size rust bubble on the passenger side front qtr panel, and larger than a quarter size bubble on the driver's side rear wheel well (see photos). 4.  The odometer hasn't worked since I purchased it 15 years ago, therefore the mileage is not accurate. 5. The driver's seat is worn (I keep a sheepskin cover on that seat). 6. The two rear windows are very slow to close once you open them. 7. Cruise Control does not operate.

You will note from the build plate, that this car was ordered from the factory without the model designation on the trunk, and without the traditional spoiler. I, therefore, tried to keep it as it was built. As was typical, the elimination of the rear spoiler caused the factory to place a steel trunk lid, in order to increase the weight. The engine hood is aluminum in keeping with the model requirements.

Notes from the website: http://www.mbca.org/forum/450slc-50-500slc-history

The 450SLC 5.0/500SLC coupes were produced by Mercedes-Benz from 1978 to 1981 and are the rarest post-war models ever produced by Mercedes Benz. They were manufactured by Mercedes Benz to homologate the 450SLC for road rally purposes. Some cars were campaigned with factory support, but the rest of the production was sold to the European market to meet homologation guidelines. Fewer than 100 cars were imported into the United States as grey market cars during production. A few more cars were brought into the USA during the 1980’s as a one time “personal” exemption. No one really knows how many of these cars still actually exist, but most estimates are that less than 100 road worthy 450SLC 5.0 and 500SLC’s still exist in the United States at this time.

The cars differed from the stock 450SLC’s in several ways. The hood and trunk lids were made from aluminum for significant weight savings. The cars also had front and rear spoilers from the factory that resulted in a 9 –10% reduction in wind resistance and a higher top speed. Top speed exceeded 142 mph. The motor was among the first aluminum V-8 production motors produced by Mercedes-Benz. It was lighter than the 4.5 liter iron block counterpart and produced 240 (DIN) horsepower (over 300 HP in SAE HP terms commonly used today). The chassis numbers for the 450SLC cars started with 107026 and the motor numbers started with 117960 indicating the 5.0 aluminum block motor.

The combination of the rigid chassis, lighter weight and higher horsepower made for a quick, reliable and competitive car that won or placed in several international road rally events, such as the Paris to Dakar and Mexican Road Rally events. An original 450SLC 5.0 car was sold recently for $ 350,000.00 and another example resides in the Mercedes Museum in Germany.