The Mercedes-Benz R107 and C107 are sports cars which were produced by Mercedes-Benz from 1971 until 1989, being the second longest single series ever produced by the automaker after the G-Class. They were sold under the SL (R107) and SLC (C107) model names as the 280 SL, 280 SLC, 300 SL, 350 SL, 350 SLC, 380 SL, 380 SLC, 420 SL, 450 SL, 450 SLC, 450 SLC 5.0, 500 SL, 500 SLC and 560 SL. The R107/SL was a two-seat car with a detachable roof. It replaced the W113 SL-Class in 1971 and was replaced by the R129 SL-Class in 1989. The predecessor W113 was notably successful in North America, with 19,440 units (40%) of 48,912 total units sold in the US. The R107 and C107 were even more focused on the American market, with specialized engines, bumper designs, headlights, and emissions management designs. The R107 and C107 sold 204,373 units in the US (68%) of 300,175 total units sold (excluding grey market sales into the US). During its production run, the SL was the only roadster offered by Mercedes-Benz. The C107/SLC was a four-seat car with a fixed roof and an optional sliding steel sunroof. It replaced the W111 Coupé in 1971 and was replaced by the C126 S-class coupe in 1981. Model history The R107 and C107 took the chassis components of the midsize 1968 Mercedes-Benz W114 model and mated them initially to the M116 and M117 V8 engines used in the W108, W109 and W111 series. The body styles for both R107 and C107 did not change materially from introduction in 1971 to their end of production in 1981 (coupé) and 1989 (soft-top) respectively. The SL (R107) variant was a 2-seat convertible/roadster with standard soft-top, with optional winter hardtop and only rarely ordered bench for the tiny rear cabin. The SLC (C107) derivative was a 2-door hardtop coupe with normal rear seats. The SLC is commonly referred to as an 'SL coupe', and it was the first and only time Mercedes-Benz based their S-class coupe on a stretched 2-seat SL roadster platform, rather than on a large S-class saloon, replacing the former saloon-based 280/300 SE coupé in Mercedes lineup. The SLC model run ended in 1981, much earlier than the SL, to be replaced with a much larger model, the 380SEC and 500SEC, again based on the new 1980 full-size S-class liner. Volume production of the first