Mercedes-Benz introduced the SLC at the 1971 Paris Motor Show as a fixed-roof version for the SL Roadster R107.
While the carmaker already offered a removable hardtop for the SL roadster, the customers demanded a two-door version. Despite having a closed-body construction, it wasn’t stiffer than its roadster brother, but it was a personal luxury coupe that carried over the legacy of the SL300 “Gullwing” model.

Unlike its open-top sibling, it featured a longer wheelbase. At the front, it featured the same front fascia with a black grille that sported the big three-pointed-star badge and a chromed horizontal slat. Its corner-mounted turn-signals were raised on the rear side. Mercedes-Benz designers hid the extended cabin by adding a fixed glass panel behind the rear side windows. By those time standards, it was a fake-cabriolet.

Mercedes-Benz made the SLC longer than the roadster so that it could fit a bench in the rear. Thus, the two-seat roadster was able to host four occupants inside. Yet, there was limited legroom in the back, if any, depending on the driver’s height. The list of standard features was long and included air-conditioning and a stereo.

The SLC received a 3.5-liter V-8 engine at the launch, with a 4.5-liter joining the range in 1973. After the oil crisis from the same year, the carmaker rushed and installed a 2.8-liter, fuel-injected engine. It was an intelligent decision since its fuel efficiency was far better than the carburetor-type 3.5-liter unit. By the late ’70s, the SLC received a 5.0-liter V-8 paired with a standard automatic transmission. It was the first V-8 car to win a World Rally Championship event.