Mercedes-Benz announced a major milestone on Monday as the German automaker sold its 500,000th SLK convertible. The popular SLK roadster was launched in 1997, as a 1998 model, and has long since been the leader in the entry-level premium drop top segment that also includes the Porsche Boxster and BMW Z4.

Surprisingly, 190,000 of those sales were tallied by the second-generation SLK, which has only been on the market since 2004.

Since the SLK's launch, Mercedes' home country, Germany, has accounted for over a third of SLK sales. The rest of Western Europe represents another third of the car's sales, with the U.S. accounting for one of every five SLKs sold, according to Motor Authority.

The most popular model of the roadster in the SLK200.

The SLK most recently received a minor update for 2008, which included revised styling and upgraded powertrains.