1980 450 Sl

[MERC Master]

does anyone know if the the speedometer on a 1980 SL or SLC is only supposed to read 85 MPH

[Bondavi]

Yep. 0-25-40-55-70-85. Drives you nuts, doesn't it, eh?

[London380sl]

Yes. There was a law back then that had speedo limited to 85 mph as part of conserving energy as the max. highway speed was 55 mph. It sounds like a foolish idea but at least you have a speedo that is easy to read as the full dial is being used for speeds where you most lilkely to be driving. I find even more foolish to see speedos that read up to 160 mph and you're stuck trying to read small numbers on a 1/3 of dial for day to day driving. How many people really drive 160 mph less over 85?

[Shiner]

My 1980 450SL in silver blue reads 160.

[Jim B.]

Originally Posted by Bondavi

Yep. 0-25-40-55-70-85. Drives you nuts, doesn't it, eh?

Ah yeah the Joan Claybrook speedometers. Legacy of the Jimmy Carter years and the NHTSA. They were supposed to encourage slower driving and fuel conservation.

[JPMOSE]

USA versions had 85mph speedos from model years 1980 - 1982.