It’s raining softly, but that won’t stop the journalist from heading to the Western Cape’s beautiful Winelands on this chilly autumn morning to undertake a short road trip in a beautiful example of one of the Three-Pointed Star’s most underrated sports grand tourers.

Once a year, over a span of 16 years, the owner of this 450SLC had asked, at times implored, the previous custodians of this ‘Benz to kindly consider him if and when they decide to sell it. “I saw this very car for the first time in 1985, when I was a student at Stellenbosch University,” he said.

That was a long time ago. Finally, in late 2018, the owner decided it was time to let the SLC go, and so, they called him.

If you are looking for this shape of Mercedes-Benz from the seventies and eighties, common sense suggests you should opt for an R107-series SL. After all, the SL’s roof can fold down; it’s just more collectible. But where does this leave the SLC? It surely has its own charm.

I walk to the front of the car and open the bonnet to find the chassis plate in front of the engine bay which reads: ‘Built by CAR DISTRIBUTORS, East London, South Africa.’ When browsing through sales brochures and dealership documents of these cars (including the earlier 350SLC), it is interesting to note that the wheelbase of the C107 (SLC) is 360mm longer than the R107 (SL), and even 70mm longer than that of the elegant 280 SE 3.5 Coupé.

Long-legged luxury built for distance and dignity

Incidentally, the owner had collected these original SLC brochures long before he bought the car. Apart from being such a low-mileage, perfectly maintained example, this car is from the last year of production – 1980. They were imported into South Africa in semi-knocked down (SKD) form and then assembled at the company’s factory in East London. This is confirmed by the car’s Heritage Certificate, with the date of August 29, 1980.

A quiet classic through the Winelands

Our early-morning excursion sees us making our way through Stellenbosch and over the winding Helshoogte Pass towards Franschhoek in the heart of South Africa’s Winelands region.

I imagine that the white exterior finish was a very conservative choice even in the era in which the car was manufactured, while the cream interior trim serves as further proof of the original owner’s decidedly risk-averse taste.

While the louvres on the C-pillars are undoubtedly the most recognisable exterior features of the SLC, those two foglamps do lend it a sportier frontal aspect. As I climb behind the SLC’s four-spoke tiller, I again realise this is a low-mileage car as the steering wheel still has that slightly rough texture to it, as opposed to the smooth texture of such items in high-mileage cars.

The interior reflects years of meticulous care. There is minor patina in the cabin, as you’d reasonably expect to find in a car of its age, but the surfaces and parts that tend to crack due to years of exposure to the sun in other cars are still near-perfect in this SLC. These include the seats, dashboard and even the speaker covers on the rear shelf. Even the carpet-lined boot and its beading look like they’ve hardly ever been used.

Gentle power, measured refinement

By modern standards, the 450’s 4.5-litre V8 engine can, at best, be described as ‘lazy’, but it suits the nature of this car perfectly. The same can be said of the three-speed automatic transmission, which changes gears so infrequently that you have to pay close attention to when it swaps cogs.

Mercedes- Benz made a point to emphasise the significance of this transmission; one of the sales brochure states: “Tests have shown that in 30 minutes of driving in town traffic clutch and gears are operated about 110 times. The automatic three-speed transmission with torque converter, which is a standard fitment on this model, takes care of this for you and hence your full attention can be devoted to the traffic. Changing gear and operating the clutch is a thing of the past.”

The SLC delivers a smooth and fluid driving experience, which is complemented by cosseting seats that, despite being low-slung in their positioning, seem to absorb your posterior when you slide down into them. There is no steering column adjustment (as is often the case with cars of this period). You can move the seat fore or aft, but the steering wheel remains close to the dashboard.

A grand tourer in its element

Once we’ve crested Franschhoek Pass, the weather starts to clear and we make our way past Theewaterskloof Dam.

The road is mainly straight and therefore the SLC is in its element. It can easily maintain higher speeds without sacrificing its plush ride quality. As it is a Sunday and the weather is inclement, other cars are thankfully few and far between. If it was a warmer, sunny day, these roads would have been swarming with other car and motorcycle enthusiasts.

As we turn right towards Grabouw, there are a few sharper corners on our route and I decide to shift the gear lever from ‘D’ into ‘S’ to stretch the old ‘Benz’s legs. Well, in its “Sport” setting, the gearbox obviously hangs on to its gears all the way to the engine’s redline. However, with only three gears available, second gear’s likely to be engaged when you move the lever into ‘S’, so there’s only one more ratio to go.

Never mind, keep your foot pinned and the needle will gamely push past the 4 000 and 5 000r/min markers. It does feel a little unnecessary, but it’s good to know the SLC has decent accelerative shove on tap, should you ever require it.

As the roads become progressively dryer, I feel confident enough to lean more on the car’s newly fitted tyres. Bear in mind the SLC is not a lightweight sportscar – its stated kerb weight is well over 1.6 tonnes.

Besides, the idea to corner at heady speeds in something so stately feels a little inappropriate. Rather ease off the throttle and drink in the near 360-degree uninterrupted view of the landscape that the SLC so graciously affords.

If you’re a massive fan of the convertible driving experience but don’t want the ownership hassles that come with drop-tops, the SLC’s effortless road manners generous glazing make it a great alternative – you could call it a grand tourer with timeless convertible appeal.

1980 MERCEDEZ-BENZ 450SLC

• Powertrain: 4.5-litre, V8, petrol
• Transmission: three-speed automatic
• Power: 162 kW @ 5 000r/min
• Torque: 360 N.m @ 3 250r/min
• 0-100 km/h: 9.3 seconds
• Top speed: 208km/h
• Weight: 1 635kg
• Years produced: 1972-1980

Published in the June 2026 issue of CAR magazine.

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The post Classic Drive: 1980 Mercedes-Benz 450SLC appeared first on CAR Magazine.

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