1978 Mercedes-Benz 450SL EURO RARE!

1978 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class

Up for auction is my 1978 Mercedes R107 450SL Euro.
The Euro 450SL is not the same smog chokedboulevarderthat the US 450SL is. It has the Euro spec 217hp engine (vs 190 for US cars) and a tighter suspension.
Here are the engine specs:M117 E45 Rest of World EnginePower: 217bhp @5000Torque: 265lbft @3250
M117 E45 USA MarketPower: 190bhp @4750Torque: 220lbft @3000
But not only is the car more powerful, there are not smog pumps or other emissions parts to cause problems. So less troublesome, high heat generating, parts to go bad!
I had never seen an Euro 450SL. I'd seen (and owned) the 280 six cylinder SL, the euro 500 and USA 450s. I had never seen a Euro 450. So for the SL collector, this is a rare car. I was looking in my latest Classic and Sports Car magazine and there was not even an add for one! So its rare even in Europe.Overall, my 450SL is a nice SL that can be driven as is. The paint is good and the body is straight. The interior is in decent shape. The dash is in great condition! There is one tiny crack but compared to most other R107s, its perfect. Most SLs have multiple, giant cracks in their dashes. So they have to use either one of those ugly carpets or tacky plastic covers. The seats do need recovering. The wood trim has a few cracks but is in much better shape than most 78 SLs. . The driver door is missing its pocket. This is pretty common.
The original Bosh Euro headlights are in great shape. The Euro bumpers are very nice. It has the rare headlight washers as well. These are a super cool euro details not seen on US cars.
Did I mention that Euro 450 motor!
The soft top is in good shape with clear windows. There is a hard top for it as well. There are some scratches on the top of it but the glassis intactand it looks good. There is a small amount of rust on theloweredge. Which is common on these as well.
The 450 looks to have had some rust repair done on the floors before I got it. See the attached photos of the floor pan.
I bought the car in Washington intending to register it here in California. However, it turns out California requires grey market cars to be smog certified at a laboratory (not just pass the CA smog sniff test) which is extremely cost prohibitive. So its for sale to non-California or International buyers. Unless someone from California wants to tackle the smog issue. To summarize:
The Good:

• Extremely Rare Euro 450. its the first euro 450 I've come across - which is why I bought it.
• Euro 450 engine has more power than a USA 450 or a Euro 350.
• After the 500, arguably the most desirable variant of the R107 - more power and with attractive euro bumpers and headlights.
• Desirable Euro headlights - which are now $2800-4000 new from Mercedes
• Desirable Euro bumpers
• Dash in excellent condition with only one small, tiny crack.
• Desirable colorscheme- Astral SilverMetallicover black
• Norestrictivesmog equipment.
• Strong Engine andtransmission
• Nice 14" Bundt wheels.
• Good conditioninteriorexcept for the seats
• Low Cost of Entry! We've set the reserve low so it will sell!

The Issues:

• Seats are torn and will need to be recovered
• No smog equipment. Not California legal.
• Evidence of rust repair on floor pan.

Here is a short video showing it starting up, idling, revving, and driving.
Here are all our photos on photobucket: