Mercedes-Benz 350SLC

Send This Page To A Friend
Fade To White
Mercedes

Mercedes-Benz 350SLC

1971 - 1980
Country:
Germany
Engine:
V8. overhead cam
Capacity:
3499cc
Power:
200hp
Transmission:
4 spd. man 4 spd. auto
Top Speed:
210 km/h
Number Built:
13,925
Collectability:
2 star
Mercedes 350SLC
Mercedes-Benz 350SLC
Reviewed by Unique Cars and Parts
Our Rating: 2

Introduction



Thoroughly more modern than the models it was replacing, it also featured the beautiful 3499cc V8 for added power and a faster top speed. Some 360mm longer than its SL twin, and weighing approximately 50 kilo's more, the SLC featured a "useable" rear passenger seat, and an even larger boot.

But even though it was larger than the 107 convertible, it was substantially shorter and lower to the ground that the outgoing 280SE model. The body rigidity offered by the 350SLC over the SL also saw it afforded the title "a drivers car", one it richly deserved. Today these cars offer a very affordable and driveable classic, with parts still plentiful and servicing costs reasonable.

A Successor To The SE Coupe



As the 350SL followed the SL and SSK series, so the 107 series SLC was the successor to Mercedes-Benz' famous SE coupe series. But despite many family resemblances the SLC was quite a different car from the SL. At launch, Mercedes even avoided making comparisons with the 350 SL introduced just months before; then gave their 2 + 2 coupe every styling feature of the SL.

Anyone that drove the SLC would have agreed that the then new Coupe did not replace the SL. It was longer, roomier and arguably more practical. The SLC used the SL chassis with angled A-arm rear suspension, four coils, vented disc front brakes, fuel tank above the rear axle line, self-cleaning windshield posts and tail lamps, hot/cold air in the doors - even the rechargeable pocket torch plugged into your glove box.

Mercedes even used the SL engine, unchanged. But that was no surprise, given the single-OHC injected (Bosch electronic) 200 DIN hp V8 was their then latest and best powerplant. The 3.5-litre mill met all then current European emissions standards. To meet Californina requirements, Daimler-Benz dropped in their 450 V8 version which held performance on a par despite the chokes. Many industry observers believed the 4.5-litre V8 would find its way into both the SL and SLC versions as a means of updating the range a few years after launch - and they were right.

Behind the Wheel



When you were in the cabin of the SLC, you would have been forgiven for thinking you were sitting in an SL. Just like the outside, Mercedes carried over most of the interior including the steering wheel, seats, trim and dial layout. The view over the bonnet was identical too, because it was the same nose, just as tail trim and below-beltline side sculpturing were carried over. But MB stretched the wheelbase by a full 14 in. to achieve a rear seat. Lengthening the top to go with this actually made the car better looking in many peoples opinion - although we prefer the SL dimensions.

Unbelievably Mercedes-Benz claimed that they kept the rear bench flat so you could carry a fifth adult. But that was a real stretch, and the truth was that four could fit, but no more. Some careful engineering went into fore-aft balance so that the car carried equal weight on front and back wheels when driven either two-up with much luggage or with four aboard and very light cases. This is designed to provide very mild initial understeer which suited fast bends, changing to gentle oversteer if the driver knew how to use the throttle through the corner.

Like the SL, the SLC's brakes were all disc with interior ventilation up front to handle 3500 pounds of automobile. Compared to the old Coupe (available at the end with this same engine) a 350 SLC was 6.5 inches shorter overall, just over two inches narrower and somewhat lower. Yet passenger space remained the same. The boot was rated as 20 percent larger than that in the 350 SL roadster. Like the SL, the forged alloy wheels were an optional extra - and given how everyone seemed to switch to these eventually we would actually prefer to see an SLC with its original hubcaps.

Given the price of the car, however, it seemed a big ask to list the heated rear window and electric side window operation as optional extras. Then again, charging extra for items you would presume to be standard kit has always been the forte of German auto builders. ABS (not available at release, but in 1972), Electric sliding roof, central locking system for the doors and boot lid, air-conditioning, tinted glass for warm climes and headlamp washer were other options - although understandably these were extra cost options. The outstanding MB automatic gearbox was optional, too, and we think most ordered their SLC that way.

Faster Than The SL



Loading the machine with options was not as fey as it might seem. Even less than the SL - which was more a boulevard cruiser and never really a sports car - the SLC was no nippy terror of the stop light grands prix. It did a fine job of transporting people over long distances in total comfort. But what may have surprised many was that the Mercedes "long-chassis" 350 SLC was a faster car in many conditions than the 350 SL two-seater. There were obviously times when a longer wheelbase and marginally higher weight did mean more speed. Admittedly, a factory test driver could probably have driven an SL around the given-radius test circle faster, but on point-to-point trips over winding roads, rippled surfaces and around unexpected bends the SLC was easier to punt, and in the hands of any lesser driver, that made it a faster car.

The 14 extra inches in the wheelbase made a notable difference in behavior through a set of bends. Where the SL tended to get a little sideways if you put the power on a hair too soon the SLC would instead continue to carve the stable line you started with. For very, very tight hairpins, the first-gear kind, you might be a tad quicker by SL. Any other bend and the SLC was your weapon. The longer car also travelled across rough going more easily, and thus a bit more rapidly, because it didn't need as many quick corrections.

Manual vs. Automatic



Having grappled with a 4-speed manual SL for many years, we can attest to the shift mechaniism not being a user-friendly device. The better option was definately the auto, Mercedes making what many believed to be the finest at the time - with four ratios matched directly to their manual, quick kickdown and unnoticed upshifts - and of course a manual override which allowed you to hold any gear as long as your consience would allow. Of course, the automatic box lowered the top speed from 130 to 127 and added perhaps 0.8 or 0.9 seconds to your less-than-nine 0-60 time, but the�e figures applied only to cars shifted by thoroughly trained works mechanics anyway. Day in, and day out, we doubt if the automatic owner would have been any slower anywhere but the drag strip.
350SLC

Visitor Rating:


Click stars to vote

Also see:


Mercedes 350SLC Technical Specifications
Mercedes SL Heritage
Unique Cars Wallpapers
Reader Reviews page 1 of 1
Click here to add your review
Farmer
Posted Recently
I just brought a 350 SLC 2+2 motor purrs has some rust which i will fix but overall very happy with it pick it up in a couple of days.
shigit
Posted Recently
MERCEDES BENZ 350 SLC YEAR1972
Leo Notarianni
Posted Recently
The Mercedes SLC W107 released in 1971, was ahead of its time. It essentially was a replacement for the hand finished, elegant, yet aged SE Coupes that were released in 1961,although heavily based on the "finny' Benzs that were launched two years before that. The SLC was a very pricey car and primarily aimed at the USA market where the majority were sold. In Australia, they were priced well above a Jaguar E type, or XJS, and were successful in its niche market.. They were based on the shorter R107 SL and more expensive. It has been said that the ride of the SLC is much smoother largely because of its much longer wheelbase. Initially released as a 350SLC, it was joined shortly after by the 450SLC, and later a 5.0 version of that was introduced. Discontinued in 1981, the SLC's styling was still current looking at the time of the demise, this is evident by the fact that its sister the SL R107 continued until 1989. Indeed, the R107s biggest year in sales was 1986, an incredible fifteen years after its introduction. The 107 shape was the longest running Mercedes Sports shapes, and the SLC version was replaced by the SEC. However, the SEC really was a belated replacement for the much earlier SE Coupes of 61-71. The SLC really was a unique model, in that it had the fixed head coupe body, on a long wheelbase, providing ample and comfortable seating, yet providing a sporty feel and low centre of gravity, enhanced by its low silhoutte. Many other designers later copied the SL and SLC shape and styling cues, and to people who dont know, they can often be mistaken for an eighties car,even though the 107 was introduced in 1971. Having a successful racing heritage and rallying exposure in Africa, the SLC is a robust, stylish, practical, luxurious, comfortable and timeless classic that is underrated. The SLC in the American market stole many potential sales from (less expensive) Thunderbirds, Corvettes, and other luxury sports coupes of the time. the SLC was also successful in the UK despite a recession in the mid seventies when many other expensive models were discontinued (eg, the Jensen interceptor, the Jaguar XJC, and numerous others). The Mercedes SLC is a worthy classic car, and has many fine attributes to make it a viable and desirable classic for the enthusiast.
 
Reader Rides
Sorry, we don't have any reader rides for the Mercedes-Benz 350SLC.
Be The First To Upload Pictures Of Your Mercedes-Benz 350SLC
Mercedes-Benz's For Sale
item
Mercedes Benz
1977
Cabrio
V8
Average
LHD

Dealer

Classic Cars

14,750 EUR
NA
item
Mercedes Benz
2000
cabrio / convertible
V8
Showroom
LHD

Dealer

Classic Cars

33,500 EUR
NA
item
Mercedes Benz
1997
cabrio
V12
Showroom
LHD

Dealer

Classic Cars

24,500 EUR
NA