Tom Petty’s Mercedes-Benz 450SL Is For Sale

This 1980 Mercedes-Benz 450SL was delivered new to rockstar Tom Petty in Southern California, and he would keep it in his possession for 35+ years, perhaps a testament to just how much he liked it.

The car is now being sold by its second owner, showing 49,858 miles on the odometer, not bad for a 45 year old car. It comes with a copy of the old title in Petty’s name, as well as the original Mercedes owner’s “date plate” stamped in his name.

Fast Facts: Tom Petty’s Mercedes-Benz 450SL

• This 1980 Mercedes-Benz 450SL was originally purchased new by Tom Petty in Southern California and remained in his ownership for more than 35 years. The car has just under 50,000 miles and comes with documentation linking it to Petty, including a previous title and factory-issued data plate bearing his name.
• The Mercedes-Benz R107 SL series was produced from 1971 to 1989, with the 450SL becoming the primary US model starting in 1972. It was a departure from earlier, more sports-focused SLs, evolving into a refined personal luxury car that emphasized safety, comfort, and daily usability over outright sports car performance.
• Over its 18-year run, the R107 lineup saw a wide range of engines, trim levels, and technical upgrades. US models like the 450SL featured larger bumpers and sealed beam headlights to meet federal safety laws. The later 560SL became the most powerful and luxurious, although lighter Euro-spec 500SLs offered slightly better performance.
• The R107 became a pop culture icon, owned by celebrities and regularly appearing in film and TV throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Its long production run, build quality, and timeless design have made it increasingly collectible, especially in low-mileage condition or with unique provenance like Tom Petty’s personal example shown here.

The Mercedes-Benz R107

The Mercedes-Benz R107 SL was built from 1971 to 1989 – an incredible 18 year run. It marked a critical shift in the brand’s GT/sports car lineage, replacing the W113 “Pagoda” SL series and eventually becoming the second-longest-running passenger car series in Mercedes history, after the G-Wagon.

Designed by Joseph Gallitzendörfer with some additional styling input from Friedrich Geiger, the R107 was focused on occupant safety and luxury over outright sports car prowess. This wasn’t to say it wasn’t still a lot of fun to drive, just that it had evolved into more of a personal luxury car than a racer.

R107 development began in the late 1960s during a time of growing emphasis on crash safety and emissions regulations – particularly for the all-important US market. This was to be the first SL to use a V8 engine, with early models sharing many of the contemporary W114/W115 and W116 parts in order to keep costs down.

All variants were two-seater convertibles with optional (small) rear seats, folding soft tops, and removable hardtops. The hardtops weighed close to 165 lbs, and when they were fitted, they made the car very much look and feel like a fixed-roof coupe.

The SLC Coupe + A Rally Win

A closely related fixed-coupe version, the C107 SLC, was introduced in 1971 and ran until 1981 under the 350SLC, 450SLC, and 500SLC badges, among others. This car had a long wheelbase, permanent rear seats, and it was a little heavier. It did enjoy surprising success in the world of rally, winning the Bandama Rally in Côte d’Ivoire in 1979, coming second in the Safari Rally that same year, and even competing in the Paris-Dakar Rally.

The initial offering in the R107 model series was the 350SL, powered by a 3.5 liter V8, primarily for European markets. Shortly after, the 450SL (4.5 liter V8) became the main US model, arriving in 1972 and tailored for emissions compliance. As a general rule, R107 model names tell you their displacement if you add a decimal between the first two digits – this was a time when Mercedes model numbers made sense.

US cars gained larger bumpers from 1974 onwards to meet federal 5 mph crash standards, and they had sealed beam headlights as opposed to the more subtle units used on Euro and other world market cars.

The 280SL (2.8 liter DOHC inline-six) was offered alongside V8 options like the 380SL and 500SL in 1980. The latter, not officially sold in the US, was the most powerful R107 variant due to its lack of US emissions equipment.

The 560SL Appears

In 1985, the model line saw its final updates: the 300SL (replacing the 280SL), 420SL, and range-topping 560SL were introduced. The 560SL, with its 5.6 liter V8, was intended for North American, Japanese, and Australian markets only, due to stricter emissions laws. It made 227 bhp and 279 lb ft of torque, though European 500SLs were still quicker due to their lighter weight and slightly higher power levels.

Throughout its run, the R107 offered an ever increasing number of upgrades – ABS brakes became available from 1980, airbags were offered later in US models, and Bosch K-Jetronic and later KE-Jetronic fuel injection systems were progressively introduced. Gearboxes ranged from a 4-speed manual to 3 and 4-speed automatics, with the vast majority being sold with automatic transmissions. Manual transmission cars now sell for a handsome premium as a result.

The R107 was one of Mercedes-Benz’s most successful models in its era, with over 237,000 built. The 560SL alone sold more than 49,000 examples in the US, despite the fact that it was one of the most expensive convertible GT cars in North America. Production of the SL models ended in August 1989, succeeded by the R129 SL, which brought a more modern and electronically-focused design.

Celebrity Owners + Pop Culture

Celebrities greatly helped to boost the R107’s image – Frank Sinatra, Donna Summer, Robert Wagner, Farrah Fawcett, John Lennon, Tom Petty, and Sophia Loren were all well-known owners – and there were plenty of others. The model featured heavily in cinema and on television, including in Beverly Hills Cop with Eddie Murphy, and as Bobby Ewing’s car in the American series Dallas – forever linking it with 1980s pop culture.

From a body construction standpoint, R107s were steel-bodied, but on some models, certain parts like the hood and trunk lid were made from aluminum. Rust protection improved through the years, with much of the body being galvanized by the mid-1980s.

The R107’s collectibility has steadily risen in recent years, Euro-spec 500SLs are the most sought after for their slight performance edge, while 560SLs are attractive to many for their comfort, broad torque curve, and 1980s charm.

In the US, Europe, UK, and further afield there are large owners clubs dedicated to the R107, and aftermarket specialists like the SL Shop in England specialize in providing spares, performance parts, and other upgrades – including 6-speed manual transmission swap kits.

The Ex-Tom Petty Mercedes-Benz 450SL Shown Here

The car you see here was bought new by legendary American rock star Tom Petty in 1980 from Jim Bess Mercedes in Canoga Park, California – an LA neighborhood over near the West Hills. This means that it was the car Petty was driving when his band, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, released their top ten hit album Hard Promises in 1981.

Above Video: Free Fallin’ is one of Petty’s most enduring hits, but he produced so many rock anthems it’s always hard to pick a favorite.

Petty would keep this car for a reported 35+ years, it still wears the correct factory “bundt” style alloy wheels today, and it’s clear that it’s been very well looked after. The car is now in the possession of just its second owner, and it has just 49,858 miles on the odometer.

It’s now due to roll across the auction block with Bonhams in mid-August with a price guide of $25,000 – $35,000 USD. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.

Images courtesy of Bonhams