Family Tree

As you’ll see, throughout both sides of the magazine, this month we recognize and celebrate the 60th anniversary of Mercedes-Benz’s SL line of sports cars. Born in 1952, as a way of returning Mercedes-Benz back to international motorsport, the SL line of cars has continually evolved, every year since.

While a 60th birthday in any circle is a cause for celebration, in the case of the SL, it really and truly is a major milestone. In the automotive world, the SL ranks as the oldest line of sports car in continuous production. Second in age to the SL is the Chevrolet Corvette, which was born in 1953, followed by the Porsche 911 in 1963. Think about this for a moment, these are the three oldest sports car lines that have retained an unbroken lineage, right back to their beginnings. In fact, the only passenger model, of any type, any older and still in production is the Volkswagen Beetle, which traces its start back to 1938.