SL roadster
T he polyester bodywork conceals a Mercedes SL, Mercedes' top-of-the-range convertible. Unrecognizable, the SL roadster is the typical example of the Sbarro-built cars that its detractors put forward.
Mercedes SL
The SL roadster had two lives: first in blue, presented at Geneva; then in pink, often photographed by spotters.
Blue
The original model was presented at the
Geneva Motor Show in 2004. Blue in color, the SL roadster
has a voluminous front hood reminiscent of some American
cars, with two oval vents and twelve smaller ones. The front
bumper forms an enormous grille with an imposing lower lip.
The original headlamps are simply masked, completely
changing their shape.
On the sides, two rocker panels with a chrome section. The
fenders are wider, especially at the rear, where the door
handles are recessed into an air intake whose usefulness
remains to be seen, given that the engine is at the front.
At the rear, the lights remain original but, as at the
front, they are concealed by a polyester cover that gives
the impression of having eight small vertical lights. On the
trunk is a curious spoiler with two metal edges to which a
second spoiler can be attached using a special key. This
second spoiler will not be shown in Geneva, as it is
probably illegal in Switzerland, where the car was
originally registered.
Pink
The car was then reworked and given a
surprising color: pink. I don't know if it was Sbarro who
did this remodeling, knowing that I've read that pink cars
weren't his taste. This same hue would later be found on the
controversial GT8, which would belong to the same owner.
The car was photographed with Ukrainian plates. The front
has been modified, with two slats under the license plate.
At the rear, the famous second removable spoiler dominates
the first. The rear-view mirrors. The pink SL roadster has
clearly suffered: the hood is patched up and the front hood
is damaged near the right headlight. When it was put up for
sale on the Ricardo website in March 2023, it was stated
that the soft top had been repaired and the car refurbished.
At that time, the car had 142806 km. The vehicle
registration document states that the base model is a 1992
SL 600 with a V12 engine.
In brief
1- Mercedes 600 SL base
2- First blue then pink
3- Tastes and colors...