As V8’s were making their way on the brand’s saloon range due to demand overseas, the successors of the famed ‘Pagoda’ SL’s were outfitted with some of the newer 3.5 and 4.5-litre powerplants. Built on Mercedes’ tradition of engineering excellence, these engines soon proved to be robust, torquey and reliable, and were eventually developed into 4.2, 5.0 and 5.6-litre units.

This particular car, a US-spec, was sold new at Sovereign Motor Cars in Brooklyn, New York, on the 16th of August of 1976, to a resident of Newark, New Jersey. The car stayed in the New York area until 2011, when it moved to Donnie Gould Restorations in Florida. With still under 6,000 miles, it was put up for auction at RM Sotheby’s (Auctions America, back then), and bought by our US representative that same year.

In 2013, we had the shipped the car to our Dubai HQ, converted it to the ‘Euro look’ with different bumpers and lights, and put into occasional service for our Chairman’s personal use. In 2021, with less than 6,500 miles, this 450SL was sold briefly to a friend of our Chairman, who wrapped in a clear film (PPF) to protect the original 1976 paint. After driving it for less than a year, citing concerns of affecting the car’s originality, he decided to sell it back to us. Since then, we have rebuilt both seats with new horsehair pads, and continue its tradition of care to this day.