Final Flagship of the R107 model range
Highly attractive colour combination
Extensive recent maintainance records
Remarkably well preserved
The Mercedes-Benz R107 series entered production in 1971 as the successor to the successful ‘Pagoda’. From 1985, the 560 SL sat at the very top of the roadster range and was intended exclusively for export markets, particularly the United States, Canada, Japan and Australia. There was no official European-market version.
The 560 SL is powered by the 5.5-litre M117 V8, displacing 5,547 cc and equipped with Bosch KE-Jetronic fuel injection. In this specification, the engine produced around 230 hp from the 1988 model year onwards. A four-speed automatic transmission was standard. The 560 SL was the largest-engined regular production version of the R107 and delivers its performance in typically effortless fashion, with particularly strong torque at lower engine speeds.
By this stage in its life, the R107 also benefited from the further-developed chassis and safety technology introduced towards the end of the model’s long production run. Inside, the 560 SL came generously equipped, with electric windows, air conditioning and high-quality leather upholstery.
Today, numerous 560 SLs have found their way back to Europe, particularly Germany, as re-imports. During the process of European registration – and often simply for aesthetic reasons – many have been converted to the more elegant European appearance, with slimmer bumpers and the more harmonious wide headlamps.
With its powerful V8, generous standard equipment and comparatively limited production numbers, the 560 SL represents a particularly appealing finale to the R107 series. Production ended in 1989.
The Mercedes-Benz 560 SL offered here was first registered in the United States in 1989 and subsequently made its way to Germany. In May 2007, TÜV Süd granted the car its German operating approval. Its subsequent ownership history can be traced through the accompanying documentation, recording four owners in Germany.
From 2008, the car is initially documented in the Rosenheim area. In 2012, the 560 SL moved to northern Germany but remained within the same family, before passing to a new owner in Esslingen in 2013. In 2021, a change of ownership to Kolbermoor brought the car back to the Rosenheim district. Over this period, the 560 SL therefore spent most of its time in southern Germany.
Throughout these years, the car was continuously maintained and improved. From 2021 onwards, the accompanying invoices document various technical inspections, maintenance work and measures aimed at further enhancing its condition. In 2022, the leather interior underwent extensive refurbishment and reconditioning.
In 2023, the 560 SL moved to Austria. As part of the change of ownership, a renowned specialist dealer in Tyrol subjected the car to another comprehensive technical and cosmetic inspection. Since 2024, the Mercedes-Benz has been registered in Tyrol.
Its traceable history, together with the documented maintenance and preservation work carried out over the years, marks this 560 SL out as a car that has been carefully looked after and continuously maintained over a long period.