The R129 generation of the Mercedes-Benz SL, which spanned from 1990-2002 model years, is an iconic design from the late Bruno Sacco. It’s as if he and his team took a bar of precious metal and shaved it down to angular perfection, which looks great in almost any color. Our Pick of the Day shows that the R129 is also appealing in more exotic hues. You can find this 1995 Mercedes-Benz SL320 listed on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Concord, North Carolina. It comes with a body-color hardtop, original bill of sale and window sticker, maintenance records, receipts, and more.
As handsome as the R129 may be, it’s not exactly a flashy car these days. It doesn’t have flamboyant curves or a huge rear wing or a raucous exhaust, but that conservatism is what makes it so attractive. It’s tasteful, restrained, low-key. The crisp body lines turn heads, even when they’re covered in a restrained color. But you could get the SL of the 1990s and early 2000s in more playful colors such as the Teal Blue you see here. Doesn’t it just make you want to hop in with your significant other, lower the black power soft top, and drive to a beach with water that’s the exact same color?
You two could enjoy the spring sunshine, but not soak up too much of it in the heat-friendly Parchment leather seats. A nice bonus to that color is that it pairs perfectly with the dark brown of the upper dashboard and the leather-wrapped steering wheel. Along the way, you could enjoy the comfort and convenience of cruise control, automatic climate control, Kenwood head unit, and a wind deflector.
As a 1995 model, this SL benefits from two major changes Mercedes introduced in 1993. One is its naming structure that is still used today. According to the Mercedes-Benz Corporate Archive, “The traditional ‘SL’ now came before a three-digit figure which represented cubic capacity,” meaning the 500SL became the SL500. The other major change is under the hood. “Both 6-cylinder models got new engines; the two-valve and four-valve versions of the old 3-liter engine were replaced by new 4-valve engines with 2.8 and 3.2 liters.” As its name implies, the SL320 has the latter engine, which produces 229 horsepower and 232 lb-ft of torque. Mercedes paired that with a five-speed automatic — a special touch in an age when most autos had four gears.
If you want to make this $25,995 1995 Mercedes-Benz SL320 your new weekend/romantic getaway car, pull up your list of dream destinations because you’ll be able to cross a lot of them off. Why? There are only 32,379 miles on the odometer, leaving plenty of room for a trip up the Pacific Coast Highway or out to the Florida Keys.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com
