Mercedes-Benz Whensday: The SLC Comeback of the Year

1971-1981 R107 Mercedes-Benz SLC Coupe History

As we do our best to forget the SLK-Class, the world turns its attention to the SLC Roadster, a seemingly brand new vehicle. What if we told you, however, that the SLC is a reinvention of a coupe with the same name from the 1970s? Actually, the history of the 1971-1981 R107 Mercedes-Benz SLC Coupe is more closely related to the S-Class Coupe, but it also has a lot of common ground with the new SLC.

Where did the C-Class come from?

Second Longest Single Series Production Run

Because it has been more than thirty years since the SLC roamed the streets, most people are surprised to learn that the SLC actually survived the second longest production, behind the G-Class, lasting a total of 18 years. This statistic also includes the SL-Class, which lasted a bit longer than the SLC, but at the time of production, these were considered to be the same cars, known as the R107 and the C107.

Four Seats!

Mercedes-Benz Roadsters of today do not come with back seats but the SLC of the past certainly did. We would say that they were removed for weight-loss purposes, but actually the SLC Coupe was replaced with the S-Class Coupe, which still has four seats.

1977 450 SLC 5.0

In it’s prime, the SLC was available with a 5.0L V8 engine. This engine put out 22 horsepower and 278 lb-ft of torque. Although it is not as impressive as the 1954 300SL, the SLC was still ahead of competing sports cars of the era.

Rally

By the end of its life, the SLC was actually a rally champion as well as a luxury status symbol. In 1978, the 450 SLC 5.0 made its debut in the World Rally, which can be seen in the video below. If you would like to learn more about the legacy of the 1971-1981 R107 Mercedes-Benz SLC Coupe, leave a comment below!