Andrew Frankel on the iconic R107 SL

Why have I always had a soft spot for the R107? It’s not even as if a 500SL is particularly quick by modern standards, nor the most agile in the corners. As someone who earns his living driving road and racing cars of all eras that are far faster than this, it might not seem the most obvious object for the affections of someone like me.

And yet there it is. If I see one, I will always cross the road to look at it, find out which engine it has and see whether it’s been well cared for. I once even considered buying one because a colleague wouldn’t stop raving about his 280SL. For me though, it would have to be a V8. And while I know I’d enjoy the roadster more, there is something about the look of the C107 I find irresistible. A 350SLC, then, because of all SLs, including the six cylinder cars, the 3.5-litre V8 has the shortest stroke of all, meaning it’s most keen to rev.

The reason is not actually very hard to understand, even if it does live outside the most commonly cited attributes of the car. Of course I love those looks – even now when I think of Mercedes’ most artful design language of the era it is this and not the Pagoda to which my mind turns. And the fact it is so strong, so reliable, so like we want a Mercedes-Benz to be, is naturally core to its appeal.

But there’s something else, the most important point of all and the one most frequently missed. It gets the balance right. Not the balance between performance and handling, but something more closely related, its form and function. To strike that balance you must first create a car that is intrinsically desirable, and with those looks, those engines and old world Mercedes-Benz build quality, that job is done.

Yet that is but half of the equation. You could design a car that ticked all those boxes and I’d still not want at it. The other consideration is this: you can use it. Seems obvious doesn’t it? But as a person who’s owned too many classic cars for so long their only role became making me feel guilty about not using them, I can tell you it’s not. You can use an SL because while being beautiful to regard and satisfying to drive, it is also quiet and comfortable so, for instance, your other half won’t refuse to step aboard. It has a decent boot too, stretching your horizons beyond the local pub. You can use it for the school run, the supermarket shop, a day trip or a European holiday. It works everywhere.

These days I have only one mantra about cars used for recreational purposes: the enjoyment provided is defined by how much fun it is to drive, multiplied by the number of times you drive it. And while some are more fun and others more practical, when you combine the two as you must, the R107 remains up among the very best of all.