I am not the most knowledgeable old-car enthusiast out there, but I know what I like. And I like the Mercedes 380 SL. I saw this beautiful white coupe in Kalamazoo, Michigan on a recent visit. It's the kind of car that just 'works' for me. It's long and low, with just the right proportions of hood length and trunk length to go with the small cockpit. The RWD platform moves the rear wheels towards the middle of the car and the front wheels towards the front bumper, giving it a great stance. I've never closely studied Mercedes' different models, so had to look up a bit of info on the 380 SL. It was built in the first half of the 1980s, and came fitted with a 3.8L V8 engine putting out 215 horsepower. A convertible was available, but I actually prefer the look of this fixed-top coupe version. The prominent, protruding bumpers and large, blocky headlights and taillights are throwbacks to a different era, but I think that this car has aged very well, and is a true classic nowadays. If I were looking to purchase a classic car, I don't know if I'd actually consider an old Mercedes. There are a bunch of old cars that I'm more familiar with and would be more inclined to buy, but I sure am glad these old Mercs have their fans still. This white SL was clearly well taken care of, and likely has many more years of motoring ahead of it. Who knows, maybe when the time comes to buy something I'll stumble across another 380 SL and decide to take a closer look.
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AuthorWelcome! My name is Paul, and I am an old-fashioned, low-pressure, low-buck car fan with lots of automotive stories to tell! Archives
February 2020
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