The legendary car brand Mercedes 500 is one of the few that have undergone a series of restyling and are still popular. The first car of this model appeared shortly after the Second World War and was immediately recognized by a wide range of motorists. And modern versions of the Mercedes 500 have an even larger army of fans.
Early history of the model
A new car brand called Mercedes 500 "light comfort" appeared on European roads back in 1951. The developers offered the car in two body versions - a convertible and a sedan. The first was produced until 1955, and the second only until 1954.
But the automakers from Stuttgart did not want to stop there and released a completely new car - the Mercedes Benz CL 500, which replaced the previous model. It was a compact coupe powered by a powerful six-cylinder petrol engine. This version of the car was so successful that, with minor modifications, it was produced until 1971.
In the mid-70s, a new line of Mercedes Benz SLC cars was developed, which included models 350, 450 and 500. But the SLC 500 version was unsuccessful. Experts blame this on the fuel crisis that erupted in the 70s of the last century. It was he who caused the sales of sports cars to decrease significantly. In addition, the company created a problem for itself by launching a Mercedes C-123 on the market, which fiercely competes with the five hundredth model. All this led to the fact that the release of the Mercedes 500 in 1989 was stopped, as it seemed to many, completely.
New life Mercedes 500
After a long 10 years, German constructors and designers were waiting for a convenient moment, which came in 1999. In the spring of this year, the Mercedes 500, half-forgotten by many, appeared on the market as an independent representative of the new CL class. It became the flagship of the coupé model line. Under the hood of the car appeared a powerful V-shaped eight-cylinder CL63 AMG engine, developing a maximum power of 420 hp. And in 2004, the car received an even more powerful CL65 AMG engine, which develops power up to 610 hp with the help of twelve cylinders. and providing the Mercedes 500 with tremendous dynamics. In 2006, the CL-class was updated, and the Mercedes 500 received a less powerful, but more economical engine.
An even deeper restyling was expected for the Mercedes 500 in 2010. The car has become more modern, and the latest materials have been used in its design, which has a positive effect on its driving characteristics. The car is produced in the body of a roadster, representing a coupe-convertible. The new, sixth in a row, and so far the last generation of the Mercedes 500 appeared in 2012. The car is equipped with a 4.7 liter V8 turbocharged engine with a capacity of 429 hp. An automatic transmission and a chassis perfectly tuned for high-speed driving complete the attractive image of the new Mercedes SL 500. Obviously, this is not the last restyling of the popular model, which is able to delight its fans more than once.
