By the time the 380SL was introduced to the market,
some 85,000 R107 body shape roadsters had been produced
since the introduction of the
350SL in 1970/71.
The obvious difference this car had with the 350 and 450SL's
was the introduction of the 3.8 liter engine then used
in the current 'S' class sedans.
The use of the all alloy engine did reduce the weight
of the vehicle, but only marginally - down from 1585kg
for the 450SL to 1540kg.
Even performance figures remained extremely similar to
the car it was replacing, so the main advantage of the
new model rested in its better fuel economy.
To the best of our knowledge only autos were imported
to Australia and the US.