Mercedes R107 500SL- is the spoiler just that? Or is just me
Discussion
I have just been looking at some very nice photos of a 1987 R107 500SL being sold by a specialist dealer.
Being the owner of a 1988 300SL one of the most attractive styling features of the car, roof on but particularly roof off, is the car's boot-lid which subtly mimics the concave line of the roof.. Add in the way that the boot mounted three-pointed star melds around the top edge Dali-esque and you have a beautiful piece of design.
So what ever convinced Stuttgart that sticking a relatively large strip of rubber which completely disrupts that beautiful design and calling it a spoiler was a good idea? Worse still, that it was a good idea to do so as a matter of default on its most expensive European model, the 500SL from 1985 onwards?
Is it just me or do others think that Mercedes had a brain-fade with this?
Being the owner of a 1988 300SL one of the most attractive styling features of the car, roof on but particularly roof off, is the car's boot-lid which subtly mimics the concave line of the roof.. Add in the way that the boot mounted three-pointed star melds around the top edge Dali-esque and you have a beautiful piece of design.
So what ever convinced Stuttgart that sticking a relatively large strip of rubber which completely disrupts that beautiful design and calling it a spoiler was a good idea? Worse still, that it was a good idea to do so as a matter of default on its most expensive European model, the 500SL from 1985 onwards?
Is it just me or do others think that Mercedes had a brain-fade with this?
It is a strange one, but of the time perhaps? I seem to recall BMW 635CSI's also had a rubber boot lid spoiler strip?
As I understand it the boot lid in some way or another is different on the 500's, hence when people add the spoiler to say a 300 the lid then doesn't stay up.
Like you I prefer the non spoiler lid of my 300.
As I understand it the boot lid in some way or another is different on the 500's, hence when people add the spoiler to say a 300 the lid then doesn't stay up.
Like you I prefer the non spoiler lid of my 300.
I'm competely with you on this one re the spoiler! When I was searching for an R107 I deliberately looked for 420s and not 500s just because of the spoiler thing. Horrible little thing, I actually thought it was a tacky add on remant from the 80's before I read up on specifications only to find out it was a factory fit!
Ended up with a 300SL mind, very pleased with it too, never missed the V8.
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