560SLs were a notable presence in the January 2014 auctions at Scottsdale and Kissimmee, so I decided to finally post this short entry on the last of third-generation SLs.
“Engineered like no other car in the world”
The 1989 Mercedes-Benz 560SL marked the end of the R107 generation that had begun way back in 1972 with the 450SL. There had been a moderate restyling for 1986, but the basic bones were definitely aged.
Motive power was provided by a Bosch fuel injected 227 bhp 5.5 liter/338 ci V8 connected to a four-speed automatic transmission. Mileage wasn’t exactly great for the 3,700-pound car—the ratings of the day were 14 city mpg/17 highway (adding a $1,300 gas guzzler tax to every vehicle), by today’s standards that would be 12 city/16 highway. With the 22.5-gallon gas tank, 560SL owners could expect a range of between 280 and 315 miles with a 10% fuel reserve. 0-60 did come in about 7 seconds, but the 560SL was closer to a muscle car than to a sports car.
The base price for 1989 was $64,230 (about $172,400 in today’s dollars). For your money, you got a plethora of standard equipment. Standard exterior and mechanical features included power assisted steering, anti-lock braking system, and power assisted four wheel disc brakes, and light alloy wheels. Inside, leather upholstery, a driver’s side air bag, cruise control, automatic climate control, central locking, electrically operated windows, an electronic AM and FM stereo radio with cassette player, and (of course) a first aid kit were included. About 8,300 buyers took home this last of the line example.
The View From 2025
There is decent club support for the 560SL, as there is for almost all Mercedes-Benz’s. 560SLs maintain a substantial presence in the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and on Bring a Trailer. As I updated this blog post in August 2025, there were 83 available on Hemmings, including 22 of the 1989 models. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, all the money for a 1989 560SL in #1/Concours condition is an astounding $153,000, while a more normal #3/Good condition car goes for $24,400.
Make mine Astral Silver Metallic, please.
Other Mercedes-Benz models I have written about included the 1980 450SL convertible, the 1981 380 SEL sedan, the 1985 380SL convertible, the 1985 300SD coupe, and the 1986 560SEC coupe.
Last updated August 2025.
Eighties Cars 