Mercedes 500 SL (R129) - innovative and a great tourer

The Mercedes-Benz 500 SL (R129) was a very modern car in the 90ies and showcased innovative engineering. It was one of the first convertibles with a fully automatic roof mechanism. And it had the latest and best safety technology such as an automatically rising rollover bar on board. The design by Bruno Sacco was seen as state of the art and very attractive in 1989 when the car was launched. The fact that they were able to build (and sell) 204'940 cars in 13 years is proof that it was a success. Mine was a blue 1993 model with the fabulous 5 liter V8 engine and it was both comfortable and relaxing to drive. Mounting the hardtop though was a pane and I don't understand why the first owner had a stationary heater unit installed. Actually the car had almost any accessory that was on the pricing list. I liked the shape and the design, but looking back or seeing them on the road today I must admit the design didn't age well depending on the perspective you look at the car. But it was a good car to use with our then small family for holiday and weekend excursion purposes. And it was a good business vehicle as well.