Welcome to Found Around Town, where we feature cars we find in a city where interesting ones are rare because everyone drives a Prius or rides a bicycle: Austin, Texas.
Now, I know what you're about to say. "A classic Mercedes-Benz SL? That's what you're giving us for Found Around Town? I see those everywhere, George! They aren't special! Do it again!"
Well, it's true that old-school SLs aren't terribly uncommon. But it's wrong to think they aren't special.
This dark red 380 SL I found in South Austin recently was extremely well cared for, and had better paint than most of the newer cars in the same parking lot. I initially guessed it was from the late 80s; turns out I was wrong.
See, it's hard to tell the age of that generation of SL, known as the R107 in Mercedes parlance, because they were made from 1971 to 1989. It had the second-longest run of any modern Mercedes-Benz behind the G-Class. And to pull off that kind of longevity, you have to be pretty special.
The 380 SLs, which packed a 3.8-liter V8 with a malaise-tastic 155 horsepower, were made between 1980 and 1985. (Most of the ones seen on the road have the more common 2.8-liter straight six in the 280 SL; the V8s went as high as 5.6 liters during its lifespan.)
I love the way these old coupes and roadsters look – they're very timeless. This SL looked way ahead of its time in the early 1970s and advanced into the next decade quite gracefully. To me, its late-80s successor, the R129, looks far more dated today. Most of the Benzes from the 70s and 80s have held up really well, I think.
Tell us – what modern cars will still look good a few decades from now?