The Mercedes-Benz SL-Class first rolled off the assembly lines in the form of the 1954 300SL Gullwing which had doors that opened upwards. The SL in the name stands for "Sport Light" and is a series of vehicles that are very well known in the motor industry. The 300SL roadster replaced the Gullwing in 1957 but that was not the end of the SL-Class by any means.
From 1968 until 1971 the SL-Class introduced the 230SL which was a completely new design with a low wasteline and very curvavious windows. This model was also a coupe roadster and the roofline earned the nickname of pagoda top. In 1968 the engine received a displacement increase and the model was renamed the 250SL. The last two years of production as the 280SL experienced small changes to items such as switch knobs and wheel trim rings.
From 1972 until 1988 The SL-Class added several models which were the 350SL, the 450SL, the 280SL, the 380SL, 500SL, 300SL, 300SL-24, 420SL, and the 560SL so it was a very busy time for the SL-Class and it's a big part of the reason why the SL class is so widely known.
Then, 1994 was the year of a slight makeover for the SL as well as the year that the 300SL was replaced in some markets. The SL500 continued with the same engine, though the SL600 topped the range in 1993 with a 6.0 litre 389 horsepower engine. In 1995 the SL320 was replaced by the 300SL in the United states, but the SL280 was not offere dat all. In 1998 the six cylinder models were eliminated from the Nothern America lineup. In both 2003 and 2005 the cars were updated again, adding state of the art features with better than ever power.
