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Mercedes 450 SLC
When Mercedes introduced their R107 SL roadster in 1971, it stunned the car industry. They started dominating the luxury convertible segment, which lasts to this day. But in the early ‘70s, Mercedes didn’t have a luxury GT coupe, so this marketing segment was left to their competitors. However, the company didn’t have enough time to design and build a whole new model for the GT niche. They decided to use the SL platform, stretching it a bit and giving it a hardtop to create the SLC.
Mercedes introduced the SLC a year after the SL roadster. The SLC was a good GT car that shared most of the engines, design, and interior with the SL. But it provided much more comfort, a better ride quality and driving refinement. It came with smaller engines, but the best choice is the 450 SLC or 500 SLC. They come with a 4.5-liter V8 delivering 225 or a 5.0-liter V8 producing 245 HP with more than a solid performance.
Mercedes built those SLC coupes for 10 years, from 1971 to 1981 in over 62,000 examples. Currently, the SL roadster prices are on the rise, but the SLC prices are affordable and steady. That means you can find perfectly preserved examples for the price of some of the most inexpensive new subcompact cars. The SLC is a better choice since classic German-built quality is still unbeatable.