Origins

• It took Mercedes-Benz seven years to climb out of the devastation wrought by World War II and return to endurance auto racing, which served as a proving ground for European automakers to test racecars that ultimately would evolve into production models. In 1952, Mercedes introduced the 300SL coupe, equipped with a 175-horsepower, 3.0-liter in-line six-cylinder engine and its unusual gull-wing doors that lifted vertically. The 300SL competed in numerous European road races before the production version arrived in 1954. In 1958, the 300SL roadster became available and served as the foundation for the contemporary SL-Class cars. United States emissions and safety standards hampered horsepower performance on the SL-Class V-8 engines in the 1970s, but the power outlook brightened in 1981, when the SL-Class received an all-aluminum 155-horsepower, 3.8-liter V-8 for U.S. export. In Europe, buyers of the 500SL received a new 240-horsepower, 5.0-liter V-8.
  
  

560SL

• In September 1985, Mercedes-Benz launched its 560SL, marking a breakthrough for U.S. buyers in providing a sports car with plenty of muscle under the hood. Mercedes used a body shell identified in-house as "Type 107," originated with the 1970 350SL models. The 560SL was equipped with an all-aluminum, 230-horsepower, 5.6-liter V-8 wielding 287 foot-pounds of torque. A four-speed automatic transmission matched the engine to make the 560SL the fastest SL-Class car. Mercedes exported the 230-horsepower 56SLs to North America, Japan and Australia, while a bolder 272-horspower 560SL version was made available only for European sales.
  
  

Specs

• The 1986 through 1989 model year rear-wheel drive Mercedes 560SL featured a longitudinally front-mounted V-8 engine with the block and head constructed of light alloy. It displaced 338.5 cubic inches, and had a 3.8-inch bore and 3.3-inch stroke. Its compression ratio was 9-to-1, and it had two valves per cylinder, for a total of 16 valves. A Bosch KE-Jetronic fuel-injection system delivered gasoline to the engine. The automaker constructed the chassis as a unitary steel component. The front suspension consisted of a double-wishbone system with coil springs, torsion bar stabilizer, supplemental rubber suspension, coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers. The rear was a twist-beam axle system with telescopic shocks, coil springs, supplemental rubber suspension and torsion bar stabilizer. The car stopped on all-wheel disc brakes with ventilated front discs and solid discs in the rear. It sat on a 96.7-inch wheelbase, with a 180.3-inch-long body. The front and rear track width measured 57.7 inches.
  
  

Performance, Price and Production

• The North American versions of the 560SL models could reach 60 mph from a stop in 6.8 seconds and the quarter mile in 19.6 seconds. The top speed was 139 mph. The car sold in 1986 for $48,200 ($94,552 in 2010 dollars). Mercedes sold 49,347 units between its debut in Sept. 1985 and the end of production, in early 1989.