1992 Mercedes-Benz 300SL

Contributed by Dee Eva

Dee Eva is retired from the real estate business, and her husband, Rich, was formerly with the Burlingame Fire Department. They live in Redwood City.

In 1995, my husband Rich and I decided that we needed another car and we wanted something a little more fun than a sedan. A roadster fit the bill. We both loved the body style of the Mercedes-Benz 300SL. It was low, sleek and had great lines, and both of us liked the fact that it was a convertible for summer but also had a hardtop for winter driving.

We wanted one that was two or three years old so it would be in our price range. We called a salesman we knew and told him, ÒWe want a 1992 300SL, and please don't call us if it isn't black.Ó We were told it might take a while to locate what we wanted; however, in a few days he found a black pearl 1992 300SL with pearl gray upholstery and a black convertible top. Since most of these cars come from Southern California, many have aftermarket features, and this one came with a motion sensing alarm system and huge speakers in the rear jump seat. (It was a speaker on wheels!) We fell in love with it and took it home.

It's a fun car to drive, and I drove it for several years when I was working. But it's not comfortable on long trips, as the ride can be a bit bumpy. However, one summer we went on a camping and fishing trip to Burney Falls and loaded the SL up with a tent, sleeping bags, pillows, camp stove, chairs, ice chest and fishing equipment. It was the only roadster in the campground, and a few heads turned when we drove in. We enjoyed being able to put the top up when it rained and pull it back down when the sun came out. And it was great fun to drive in the mountains.

We enjoyed the SL for 13 years. However, in 2008 we decided we needed a new sedan and really didn't need three vehicles. (We also had a Toyota pickup and a Mercedes-Benz S500.) So at a garage sale one weekend, we put a Òfor saleÓ sign on the car and sold it to neighbors around the corner. It was the wife's dream car, and she was thrilled. Rich felt it was OK to sell the car; after all, we didn't need three vehicles. But, I could soon tell he would have preferred to keep it. Two years later, the neighbor came over to say she was going to sell her dream car and just wanted to let us know. After she left, I said to Rich, ÒYou'd like to have that car back, wouldn't you?Ó He smiled and said, ÒYes.Ó So we walked around the corner and bought it back.

When we originally purchased the car, I was the main driver, but Rich drives it more than I do now and he takes very good care of it. The SL has always been parked in our garage, is washed once a week by hand and is serviced religiously.

The SL has its faults. It's a little slow starting from a stop, and the heavy doors are hard to open, especially if you're on a hill. Also, the doors are large and if someone parks too close to you, you have to get in from the other side, unless the top is down - then you just climb in over the door. It handles beautifully, though, once you get it up to speed. Since it's 18 years old, it's missing a few luxuries like cup holders and Bluetooth technology, but it still has that classic trademark body style that we both love. We plan on driving it for many more years!

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