Opinion / Why isn’t the redesigned 2022 Mercedes-AMG SL electric? The new luxury car is an elegant spin on past SL models, but it’s no Tesla Model S

Nov 4 , 2021

The new Mercedes AMG-SL model. Photo: @joeyantwi/Twitter

Famously driven by Bobby Ewing in Dallas, SL models like the Mercedes-Benz 1956 ‘Gullwing’ 300 SL and the 280 SL were symbols of success in the 70s and 80s

The brand lost out to BMW, Porsche and Lexus from the 90s onwards, but has it missed its chance to make a comeback by putting a V8 engine in its new car?

This article is part of STYLE’s Luxury Column

There are few cars that have been more defining of a category than the Mercedes SL. From the 1950s through to the 90s, the SL was the epitome of elegant luxury – a design icon not just reflecting the design cues of the time, but defining them.

The 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing. Photo: @historydailypix/Twitter

The Mercedes-Benz 1956 Gullwing 300 SL is one of the most beautiful and desired cars on the planet, fetching prices of two million dollars and more on auctions. It was one of the most innovative cars of its time and the gullwing doors made it second to none. The appealing roadster defined the design of generations of luxury convertibles.

In 1963, the 280 SL, dubbed the Pagode, became another design classic due to its unusual pagoda-shaped roof. In terms of innovation, it boasted four disc-brakes, unlike most other cars. The SL was always not just a design icon, but also a technology hub, ensuring that drivers can have the pride of not just having the most elegant car of its time, but also one of the most advanced.

Bobby Ewing posing with a Mercedes-SL. Photo: reezocar.com

In the 70s and 80s, the SL became the symbol of success, famously driven by Bobby Ewing in the TV show Dallas. The SL was the car you would drive to underline that you made it. Refinement, status and elegance on wheels.

The Mercedes 280 SL Pagode. Photo: @bo_giles/Twitter

Over time, the allure of the SL faded dramatically. It morphed from an agile design icon to an oversized and unattractive grand tourer. The decision to go for a hardtop was one of the worst decisions ever in the history of automotive design, rendering the SL into an increasingly ugly duckling. I remember seeing the predecessor of the new SL for the first time some years ago, and asking myself “why?” Why did Mercedes allow the most iconic car to become a caricature and a design failure? Why was elegance replaced with opulence dressed up badly?

Following the money, it seems like customers also agreed. Sales of the SL plummeted, its desirability at an all-time low. Mercedes left the market of luxury convertibles to BMW, Lexus and Porsche.