By Steven Symes 
The Mercedes SLK is an often misunderstood car which changed the trajectory of the German automaker for the better. Some see it as just a silly, dumbed-down version of the SL, but it helped shape the brand in the 1990s and take it in a bold new direction.
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Back in the spring of 1996 Mercedes decided to make a bold statement with the reveal of the SLK, showing it off in the ultra-bright Yellowstone paint. Those who weren’t alive at the time or weren’t paying attention to that section of the market might not have realized what that mean.
For a while, the perception was BMW was the German brand for young playboys while Mercedes was old, stodgy, and far too serious. The automaker was looking to shed the buttoned-up image and inject some fun and the SLK was the model to lead the way.
Going with a bright yellow paint job for the premier made it clear up front the new roadster wasn’t a vehicle for men who like to wear jackets with elbow patches.
The SLK R 170 came with another big twist. While it was a roadster, the little car was also a coupe and the mix, while conventional today, was a bit confusing at the time. This all came via the vario-roof, a hardtop that was electro-hydraulic folding at a time when hardtop convertibles were strange beasts.
Even more interesting, the R 170’s design has aged quite well with time. Unlike some other 90s cars, the simple exterior with clean lines and statement grille still look fashionable today. This is why people who don’t know Mercedes well tend to think the car is much newer than it is.
Many were excited when the SLK was initially revealed as a concept in 1994 because roadsters were in short supply at the time. That energy level continued all the way to 1996 for the market launch and beyond.
By 2004, Mercedes sold 310,000 SLKs, making the little sports car more popular than the bean counters thought possible. After all, practical vehicles are supposed to be volume producers, not little two-seaters.
Mercedes smartly capitalized on the popularity of the SLK, launching other products that were simple, efficient, fun, and timeless to appeal to a similar market demographic. That in turn helped transform the brand from one preferred by grandpa to what it is today.
Images via Mercedes-Benz