The only Mercedes Coupé derived from an SL and not from an S-Class, the SLC was presented at the Paris Motor Show of the 1971 version of the 350 SLC. Throughout the seventies the car continued to evolve, adopting various engines: in 1973 the 450 SLC made its debut (only with automatic transmission), in 1974 it was the turn of the 280 SLC (6-cylinder in-line engine), followed by the 450 SLC 5.0 in 1977 and the 500 SLC in 1980. Except for the 280 SLC, the engines were always V8, whose maximum power (240hp) was reached with the 450 SLC 5.0 and the 500 SLC. The SLC series went out of production in 1981, replaced by the C126 series, presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show that year.