Concours / Show & Shine1990W126
There are rare Mercedes-Benzes, and then there are the phantoms, the cars whispered about in the halls of classic car salons but seldom seen. The R129 SL73 is emphatically the latter. Boasting the colossal 7.3-liter iteration of the M120 V12, the very same beating heart that Horacio Pagani would later borrow for his Zonda, this 1999 example represents the absolute zenith of the R129 generation.
As a dedicated student of Affalterbach’s history, I can confirm that the provenance of an SL73 is everything. According to a July 2024 German-language letter included in the dossier, this chassis was initially born as an SL600 before being summoned to AMG. There, it was transformed with the M120-7.3L engine and its bespoke exhaust system, the unmistakable AMG lower bodywork, a 300-km/h AMG speedometer, a sculpted AMG steering wheel, and staggered 18-inch light-alloy wheels.
Originally a European-market example, this SL73 spent a highly cherished portion of its life in Japan, a market renowned for its obsessive preservation of top-tier German metal. It was purchased and repatriated to Germany in 2024.
The 7.3-liter M120 V12 sends power to the rear wheels through a five-speed automatic transmission. Ewald Menke GmbH Mercedes-Benz of Lohne, Germany, performed an A service in August 2024.
The leather and wood-trimmed steering wheel fronts a 300-km/h AMG speedometer installed in 1999.
The four-place cabin houses heated, power-adjustable, and multi-contour front seats trimmed in black Nappa leather, while chestnut wood accents the door panels, center console, armrest, and gear knob. The left-hand-drive cabin has automatic climate control, cruise control, seat position memory, a deployable roll bar, and a stereo.
Modular 18″ AMG wheels are mounted with 245/40 front and 275/35 rear Michelin Pilot Sport tires with 2007 production date codes. Standard equipment included Electronic Stability Program (ESP) and an Adaptive Damping System (ADS) with all-wheel automatic level control. Stopping power is provided by four-wheel disc brakes with ABS.
The car left the factory in Brilliant Silver Metallic (744) and features a power-operated black soft top and a removable panoramic hardtop with tinted rear windows. Additional details include a decklid wing, xenon headlights, headlight wipers, V12 fender badges, and SL73 AMG decklid emblems. Paint meter readings are displayed in the gallery. The soft top windows are sun-faded.
AMG certificate of authenticity
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