Launched in 1972, the SLC was the pillarless coupe version of the popular 107-generation SL. Though the coupe shared its styling with the roadster, its wheelbase was 14.2 inches longer to accommodate rear seats and deliver a more stable ride, fitting for a grand tourer. The SLC was produced in far fewer numbers than the SL: just 62,888 coupes were built compared to the 237,287 roadsters.

The success of its 280 E sedan in the 1977 London–Sydney Marathon encouraged Mercedes-Benz to invest more resources into rally racing, and the 450 SLC, with its longer wheelbase and reliable V-8, was chosen as a foundation on which to build a rally car. It was made lighter and more powerful with an aluminum hood, trunk lid, and doors, and an aluminum 5.0-liter V-8 instead of the standard 4.5-liter V-8. The rules of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) dictated that a small number of roadgoing homologation specials be built, like the example on display. Mercedes-Benz’s decision yielded positive results: the 450 SLC 5.0 became the first V-8-engined car (and the first automatic car) to win a World Rally Championship (WRC) event.