These early 90’s Lorinser cars seem to be coming out of the woodwork lately and although we can’t find any proof of celebrity ownership on this one, it definitely has our attention for all the right reasons. Recently listed in Lubbock, Texas, this 1990 300SL Lorinser is offered with a clean history and bill of health. It can be found here on Facebook Marketplace for $18,500.
From the aggressive bumpers to the sport suspension and those instantly recognizable D93 wheels, Lorinser modified benzes were wildly popular in the 90’s. Musicians, actors, athletes, and even the occasional enthusiast next door loved the fresh, out of the box styling from the German tuning company. Most cars that received the specialized treatment were already peak trim level and anything less than the 5 liter V8 was rarely seen wearing the badge. That’s where this car gets interesting…
This 1990 R129 was not a 600 and not even a 500 but a 300SL powered by the 24-valve M104 and attached to the 5-speed dogleg manual transmission. Some may say it’s down on power or SL’s aren’t meant to be driven with three pedals- We strongly disagree. This build makes this car that much cooler, rarer, and in our humble opinion, more fun to drive. Less than 400 manual R129 SL’s made their way to the North American market between 1990 and 1992. Only a handful of those still exist today in fair condition given low desirability and high depreciation in the early 2000’s.
This specific 300SL, finished in Black (040) over Anthracite (271) is reportedly being sold from a private collection in Texas and although the odometer reads 127k miles, it shows as though it was transported to 2020 from the early 90’s just last week. In addition to the clean history, the car presents nicely and there seems to be no evidence of damage. The chrome 19 inch Lorinser D93 wheels appear to be in equally as nice shape with no signs of flaking or pitting.
A quick search reveals this car was last sold via Barrett Jackson in 2010 for $14,850. At the time a full service was reported including head gaskets, top mechanisms, seat covers, and repainted hood and bumpers. A matching hardtop is included along with all documents and books. Altogether, given the options and history, this car will most likely continue to appreciate even if it’s styling is polarizing to the general market.
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