Mercedes SL Is A Victim Of The AMG GT

Is the Mercedes SL-class a victim of the AMG GT? Sales for SL slid, while the rest of the Benz lineup rose.
 

Mercedes used to be all about open top motoring. The SL roadster has been a staple in the Mercedes line of cars for decades. Along with the now defunct SLK, it revolutionized the retractable hard top concept. But sales were sharply down in 2024 according to Motor 1.
 
Starting with the W113, the svelte and handsome SL was known for class and speed. The R107 brought in a more luxurious era for the SL, as it navigated the emissions era. The R129 brought back everything in the ethos of the SL. And of course the R230 brought in the hardtop SL we know and love.
 
R230 sales were prolific at its introduction, as seen by the graph above from the SL Shop. Sales slowly weened off till the R231 came along. Sales pumped up again, but the R232 has really slid off the charts.
 

Is it that the SL is facing tougher external competition? We don’t really think so. There’s not too many other high end roadsters on the road these days. Sadly, it appears as though the competition is internal. AMG GT sales wound up higher by 77 percent while the roadster sales barely struck four digit sales figures.
 
If we take a look at the R230, it took over headlines because of the advanced tech, and great performance. The SL65 was one of the easiest ways to get into the 200 mile per hour club. The SL65 Black is a modern day legend. But the following two chassis generations just didn’t have the same hutzpah.
 
Maybe it comes down to Black Series designation being shifted to the AMG GT. Maybe it comes to the SL being given a hybrid turbo inline 4 engine and having the audacity of being called the SL 43. While still fast, its tough to see anyone get overly excited about it, but it is the sole remaining SL with just rear wheel drive.
 
Driver’s tastes are always changing, and the market for convertibles just isn’t present any more. That’s really unfortunate, because some of life’s bet motoring experiences are done with the top down.