Mercedes 350SL

GERMAN VERSION OF A 350

Greg Lokes had wanted a Mercedes-benz SL ever since he’d seen them as a boy, cruising through his home town of Glen Innes, Auckland — presumably, Greg thought, doctors and lawyers on their way to their practices in Remuera and Newmarket. He was captivated by the previous Merc SL, the 1963–71 ‘Pagoda’, which he first saw on a trip over the harbour bridge, but when the more aggressive, sleek, new R107 model appeared Greg was smitten.

“I just loved the the fluted panels under the doors, and the indicators.”

The fluting on the indicators was apparently supposed to help shed grime. Whether or not it worked, it gave the new Mercs a point of difference.

Greg was especially fond of the coupé version. It was longer — actually a fourseater — and it featured an elegant fan of vertical venetian blinds, echoing the fluted sills, in the rear quarter window. Greg was checking out SLCS on the computer when his wife, Barb, looking over his shoulder, said he could buy one if he got one like that, pointing at the roadster version. That was good enough for Greg and he set out to find one before Barb had a change of heart.

He drove a couple of 450 SLS — the bigger-engined model designed with the American market in mind. In fact, though still badged as a 350 SL, the American cars came with the 4.5-litre engine from the start. The model name only changed to 450 SL when the

larger engine was released in Europe in 1973. Greg found the 450 a little disappointing. It was more powerful and faster but the engine was slower revving and, to Greg, it felt a bit too American.

However, when Greg drove this 350 SL with a manual gearbox he knew he’d found the right car.

“In third gear, with that V8 revving away, it was just so cool.”

He says it gives the car just enough of a sports car feel to separate it from the saloons, and of course the manual gearbox is so much more involving.

Some owners fit the taller differential that came standard on later models. It reduces engine revs and fuel bills and makes the car a more relaxed cruiser, but it would take away the little of the edginess Greg enjoys in his car.

FEATURING WIND-UP WINDOWS

Greg also likes the fact that this was one of the lower spec models, which means it has fabric-covered seats rather than leather or MB-TEX — Mercedes’ own imitation leather — which would be dangerously hot for bare legs in the sun when the roof is down. The car still has manual wind-up windows. “More chrome” is Greg’s verdict.

He’s right — they are a plus. It’s just another little feature that makes this car more special — along with the manual gearbox and the steel wheels with the body coloured hubcaps. Greg has a set of period mags, which make the car handle better as they are lighter, but the steel wheels also set the car apart from the crowd.

As soon as we walked into the garage Greg asked, “What looks better, with or without the coupé top on?”

It’s a fair question. Without it, the car’s clean lines are shown off to full effect. The soft-top is fully concealed and doesn’t require any sort of hump to hide it, as so many modern cars do. But the coupé roof is also so distinctive and attractive it genuinely adds to the car’s appeal — and, as Greg says, there’s more chrome.

A WELL-TAILORED SUIT

In truth this SL is several cars in one. The hardtop makes it a classy coupé and grand tourer. With the top down you have all the fun and freedom of a roadster, with the reassuring solidity that Mercedes does better than anyone else. Then there’s the soft-top, which fits with the cut, class, and structure of a well-tailored suit. Put on the distinctive forged ‘bundt’ aluminium wheels and the car looks and drives like a modern car, while the steel wheels create another, more classic look. Once so ordinary, they now stand out, especially with the painted finish and the large Mercedes three-pointed star.

That’s another thing that appealed to the young Greg: the purity and engineering precision of the Mercedes logo, which pointed to Mercedes’ mastery of land, sea and air.

The classic Astral Silver paint and blue interior are also powerfully evocative of the brand and Greg, who is no mean photographer, has taken a few photos which take advantage of the silver paint’s ability to highlight the subtle elegance of the lines penned by Joseph Gallitzendörfer and Friedrich Geiger. The look of the car is heavier and more substantial than the svelte Pagoda models but its styling suits its profoundly well-engineered construction and more modern chassis.

THE GOOD BITS

Greg thinks the car straddles the good bits of both classic and modern cars. It has enough classic features, plus the added zest of roadsters in general, to be a fun car to own while it is modern enough to use as a daily driver. Yet it is not burdened with the extra electric motors, gadgets, and electronics that may one day fail expensively in later cars — another plus for those wind-up windows.

Apart from never tiring of its handsome good looks, after 10 years of ownership, Greg, who doesn’t work on his own cars beyond cleaning and general fettling, now appreciates its reliability as much as its period charms.

“It’s a modern car. If you gave me the choice of a Pagoda Mercedes or this one, I’d choose this.”

Greg and Barbara were overseas for 10 months recently. Greg had disconnected the battery before he left. When he got back, he reconnected it, turned the key, and it roared straight into life. He isn’t totally swayed by modernity, though. He has had the opportunity to drive two rare and beautiful 300 SLS from the ’50s.

“That’s like flying a World War II fighter plane. If only I was about a foot shorter.” The cockpit on those is a tight fit. Then there’s also the small consideration of the price difference. You could buy a clutch of 350 SLS for the price of a 300 SL.

R107s in good condition make a great practical classic. They certainly fit the classic category, as Mercedes was happy to sell more than a quarter of a million R107 and C107s — the coupé model — over 18 years, making them Mercedes’ longest running model after the G-wagen. Their solidity and quality, which saw a 450 SL sell for more than twice the price of a Triumph Stag when new, ensured more of them have survived; all of which means you don’t have to pay too much of a premium for rarity.

A WELL-SEA-SONED SL

When Greg bought the car he didn’t know as much about SLS as he does now, but he was fairly confident he had bought a good one. While the drivetrain, which went on to feature a 5-litre aluminium V8, was always robust — apart from one model’s timing chain issue — the cars still had their weaknesses. After learning that blocked drains around the heater blower motor could lead to serious rot in the bulkhead, Greg undertook a rather nervous inspection — and was relieved to find it the care lavished on the car by previous owners had paid off. It was fine.

Greg is just the third owner of this quite special 350. The car was bought new in 1978 in the UK and exported soon after to South Africa when its owner was posted there. He was subsequently posted to New Zealand and the car was put on the ship to his new home. Unfortunately, the paperwork wasn’t up to scratch so it had to go back to South Africa. The owner went back after it, got the papers in order, and this time imported it successfully. That shows a certain dedication.

After seeing the car around town, the second owner invited the original owner to get in touch if he ever wanted to sell and that came good when the original owner headed back to the UK. The second owner had several SLS and this car was part of his collection for about eight years before he decided to move it on.

A DOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT MISTRESS

Greg has a folder crammed with all the paperwork relating to the car from all three owners. Mistress Liesl — “It sounds appropriately German and has SL in it,” says Greg — is in a tidy original condition. Greg has considered a restoration but is wary of the trap of becoming too precious about preserving a pristine car. He enjoys this car’s usability.

So far, he has indulged in buying a leather gaiter for the gear lever. The original rubber case looked too industrial and was showing signs of wear. He has also replaced the ‘disco ball’ Blaupunkt stereo with a Retrosound head unit, which has a chrome fascia plate designed to suit classic cars.

So Mistress Liesl has been welcomed to the family. Her sense of fun led Greg and Barb into active roles in the Mercedes-benz club. They both joined the club committee, Greg as club captain and Barb as secretary, and have enjoyed organizing many club events over the years. Greg continues to get a kick out of finding new backgrounds and ways to shoot the car which show off its many personalities.

While the car looks big, sitting in it, it feels surprisingly snug, the seats smaller and springier than you might imagine. The V8 rumbles into life in the garage with a satisfying roar, and the car swallows the imperfections in the road surface with aplomb. There’s no doubt this is one of the old-school Mercedes, which feel like they were carved from solid ingot. With a nought to 100 time of around eight seconds it’s no sports car, but the urge from the V8 is still satisfying and the view across the subtly bulging bonnet, and along its converging lines, also offers a sense of occasion.

The impression of size soon disappears and you notice that modern SUVS sit considerably higher. Rowing a manual gearbox and unleashing a tad more power than you need — but you do it because it’s fun — makes driving this car a more personal experience. Mistress Liesl still exerts an ageless charm.