Original MSRP Prices
The Mercedes-Benz R129 SL-Class is the successor to the earlier R107 SL-Class Mercedes that had a long production run from 1971-1989. The R107 was such a popular series of Mercedes that they decided to keep producing it from 1986 to 1989, just before the R129 was revealed. First revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in 1989, the R129 had to really be impressive in order to trump the previously held notion of the R107 being the best SL to date.
The release was extremely surprising, considering the high price point that the they were starting at. First being sold in 1990, the 300SL, 300SL-34, and 500SL were the first models to see the streets. The 1990 300SL debuted with a hefty price tag of $73,500 (compared to $64,230 for the 1989 560SL R107) and the 1990 500SL started at $83,500. That’s a whopping $164,400 in 2022 dollars for a 300SL and $186,700 for a 500SL! At such a high price point for the base models, the R129 Series was certainly expected to be a premium ride.
Prices steadily rose until 1995, when the R129 underwent its first facelift. Starting with 1996, prices jumped up with the introduction of the facelift and again, steadily rose from there.
Here is a list of some of the original MSRP prices:
| Year | 300SL | 500SL | 600SL | 320SL | SL320 | SL500 | SL600 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | $73,500 | $83,500 | |||||
| 1991 | $78,500 | $89,300 | |||||
| 1992 | $83,500 | $97,500 | |||||
| 1993 | $83,300 | $98,500 | $119,500 | ||||
| 1994 | $99,500 | $120,100 | $85,200 | ||||
| 1995 | $89,500 | $120,100 | $78,300 | ||||
| 1996 | $78,300 | $89,900 | $123,200 | ||||
| 1997 | $79,600 | $89,900 | $123,200 | ||||
| 1998 | $79,900 | $125,000 | |||||
| 1999 | $81,100 | $126,900 | |||||
| 2000 | $82,600 | $128,950 | |||||
| 2001 | $83,800 | $128,950 | |||||
| 2002 | $83,800 | $128,950 |
Production Numbers and US Sales
The production for the R129 Series is staggering when compared to the earlier R107 Series. The total number of R129s produced for model years 1990 through 2001 was 204,940. That’s over the course of 11 years; now compare that to the 18 year run of the R107. Between the model years of 1971 and 1989, a total of 237,287 R107 SLs were produced.
The R129 production was about 23,000 vehicles shy of the total R107 production in a shorter time period. Broken down by each model of the R129, the SL500 is by far the most common vehicle, especially because its production period was as long as the entire lifespan of the R129 itself.
Below is the production numbers by model:
| Model | Designation | Production Period | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| SL280 | R129 E28 | 1993-1998 | 10,319 |
| SL280* | R129 E28 | 1997-2001 | 1,704 |
| 300SL | R129 E30 | 1988-1993 | 12,020 |
| 300SL-24 | R129 E30 | 1988-1993 | 26,984 |
| SL320 | R129 E32 | 1993-1998 | 32,223 |
| SL320* | R129 E32 | 1997-2001 | 7,070 |
| 500SL | R129 E50 | 1988-1998 | 79,827 |
| 500SL** | R129 E50 | 1997-2001 | 23,704 |
| 600SL | R129 E60 | 1991-2001 | 11,089 |
| SL55 AMG | R129 E55 | 1999-2001 | *** |
| SL65 AMG | R129 E60 AMG | 1993-1998 | *** |
| SL73 AMG | R129 E73 | 1999-2001 | *** |
*Contains V6 Engine
**Contains M113 Engine
***Numbers not documented
R129 SL Prices Today
The R129 has aged quite well and some pristine vehicles can sell for what seems like an excessive amount of money. For example, check out this 2002 SL-600 Silver Arrow Edition that sold for $127,000 on Bring a Trailer! It only had 270 miles on the odometer and is 1 of 100 R129s produced with the Silver Arrow Package. Brand new, this car had an MSRP of $136,195.
Now that we’ve seen what a pristine special edition R129 will sell for, what will your average R129 sell for? For your basic option R129, most vehicles will sell between the $10,000 and $35,000 range according to Bring a Trailer. Mileage is a key factor in how much you can buy a used SL for, but also the condition of the interior and exterior. Many of the warmer climates also have better values, as rust and salt damage from the cold climates can greatly affect the value of the vehicle. The interior is much easier to restore and repair than exterior rust or damage, which is why climate has such a large factor in pricing. Some minor pricing factors may be paint and interior colors, but they do have some effect on the price, especially if they are limited edition colors.
Interior Color Options
As far as the interior color options go, the R129 had plenty of options to choose from. The most common interior colors to find on an R129 are both black and mushroom. As your vehicle ages, these colors may lighten or fade due to exposure to the sun and weather. Each interior may age differently based on the different conditions that each car is exposed to. Our R129 aftermarket products come in all nine of these interior colors, and are an exact match to the original OEM color.
If you are unsure about which color your car is, please contact us for assistance! You also may be able to decipher which color your car is based on the year, for example a 1994 SL500 with a gray interior would be the "Gray" color, while a 2000 SL500 with a gray interior would be "Orion Gray". The same thing goes for the two beige colors, "Mushroom" and "Java".
Do you own an R129 SL? If so, leave a comment below! Which color is your interior and exterior? Do you enjoy how it drives? Let us know!
22 comments
I own a 1990 W129 300SL. After 122k miles, the head gasket needed an extensive work which would have cost around 4k to replace. Instead of spending the kind of money to repair the head gasket or use that money as a down payment on another vehicle – I found an engine on ebay with 93k miles for only $1200 bucks and swapped it out with the previous engine. All hail the Mercedes SL!
I have owned a 97 SL500 for 10 years. The exterior color is Ruby Pearl – and the interior is Mushroom. It has never been driven in the winter. I have done all of the maintenance issues with the car except the sun visors. (next I hope). A great car.
I have a 1993 300SL AMG . All is Badged properly on trunk and fenders etc. I find 0 data anywhere on how many early gen r129 300SL AMG models were imported or mfg.
I have owned a 1996 SL500 for the last 2 years. Silver exterior with mushroom interior. It is in excellent condition. It is my daily driver and currently has 57,000 miles on the M119 V8 (started with 27,000 miles). Love this car like no other, in fact fell in love back in 1997 when I first saw them. Only issue but not unexpected is a failure of the passenger side main lift cylinder. I am planning on replacing all of the soft top cylinders early in 2024. Parts are not cheap but can do the work myself. This is the best riding and handling car I have ever driven. And can it run…..effortlessly to as fast as you dare. And surprisingly gets decent gas mileage (25 mpg) when just cruising much like any other big V8. I believe it is one of Mercedes best efforts not to mention great looking car.
I just purchased a 2000 SL500 with 72,000 miles for $8,000. I have been looking for a year. The car i purchased was well cared for and the top works! I have been purchasing small items for Classis trim they all fit perfectly. In the spring I plan on replacing all of the front suspension parts and the motor mounts.