1997 Mercedes-Benz SL500 Designo Edition

The Mercedes-Benz Designo Edition is the brand’s exclusive factory customization program—think of it as the equivalent of Porsche’s Exclusive Manufaktur or BMW’s Individual program. Designo (now rebranded as Mercedes-Manufaktur) allows customers to personalize their vehicles with special paint colors, upgraded luxury materials, and unique trim pieces that aren’t available on standard production models.

For this specific 1997 SL500, “Designo Edition” refers to a carefully ordered trio of ultra-rare factory option codes:

• 252U: Designo-Green Metallic Paint — A genuine special-order paint finish only available for a narrow 1997-1999 window
• 021: Designo Green Carbon Fiber Trim — Hand-selected carbon weave with a distinctive green tint; considered exceptionally rare and expensive
• 022: Designo Green/Black Two-Tone Nappa Leather — Premium extended leather package covering not just the seats but also the dashboard and door panels

These aren’t dealer-added accessories—they’re factory-installed options that transform a standard SL500 into something truly bespoke. The dealer claims this specific combination (especially the green-tinted carbon fiber) makes this a “1 of 1” for Canadian-market vehicles, which makes sense given how infrequently these options would have been specified together on a single car in that era.

Typically, Designo vehicles command a premium both when new ($10,000-$20,000+ in options) and in today’s collector market because they represent Mercedes-Benz at its most indulgent and creative.

Want to see other Designo R129s? I found 24 in our database if you’d like to compare configurations: https://classic.com/m/mercedes-benz/sl/r129/sl-500/