There was no doubt that the fourth-generation Mercedes-Benz SL had a lot to live up to. The model line had already featured the beautiful 190 and 300 SL models in the ’50s, been brought into the modern era by the stunning W113 ‘Pagoda’ models available throughout much of the ‘60s and enjoyed 18 years of success with the iconic R107, which was produced from 1971 onwards. With such a legacy, Mercedes needed a new model that would retain the virtues of the SL yet bring it up to date at the same time – and with the R129, the Stuttgart giant managed it with aplomb.
One of the biggest sensations at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1989, the new SL melded sharp styling with a technology overload. By this point the old R107 was showing its age, but the new car was a massive leap forward, offering unparalleled levels of safety and performance in a package that was anything but dated.
As was often the case for new Mercedes models of the period, the groundwork went back much further. Indeed, the first studies for an R107 successor took place as early as the mid-1970s – aperiod of much advancement in terms of electronics and styling practices. Bruno Sacco was now in place as chief designer and it was under his gaze that the R129 began to take shape, but the early efforts were a little uninspiring and were close in appearance to the contemporary R107 and C107 models, with a Targa-type roof that would allow engineers to stay ahead of the game in the USA, where open cars faced a ban.
The process was initially one of several delays, but work considerably picked up speed at the start of the 1980s. During the styling process, nearly 20 1:5 scale models were built, with 12 initial designs broken down into three subcategories: a conservative, conventional continuation of the 107 model, a futuristic approach, or a modern concept that was stylistically independent yet maintained a touch of SL tradition. People were still keenly voting for the R107 with their wallets, but Mercedes also wanted to move forward, silence critics and enjoy another long life cycle, so the latter approach was ultimately chosen.
The 1:5 scale designs were followed by several wood, clay and plastic fullsize models, with a proposal by Johann Tomforde, created under the watchful eye of Sacco, the one selected to finetune into the final design.
