The Mercedes-Benz 230SL was meticulously assembled on one of the world’s least frantic production lines; from start to finish it passed over 8,000 inspections. Exquisitely well-built, it was not a brittle showpiece. It was regarded by Car & Driver magazine as a “highly virile machine; a combination of absolute security, complete stability, and plain old hell-raising fun that must be driven to be believed.”

Mercedes-Benz advertising touted the removable hardtop in the following manner; “The hardtop roof is concave, like a pagoda’s. An ingenious engineering idea to increase visibility. A conversation piece too.” With these words, this and similar models earned the “Pagoda” moniker.

The “Super Light” or SL was called as such due to its aluminum doors, trunk, and hood. It was initially produced in 1963 and continued into the 1964 model year with little change. The Mercedes is powered by a 2,308-cc, 150-hp six-cylinder engine with fuel injection and is meshed with a four-speed automatic transmission. The transmission uses a fluid coupling as opposed to a torque converter. It was easy to use, sporty, comfortable and very reliable. As such it ended up in the driveways and garages of both sports car enthusiasts and those who simply wanted a comfortable, reliable two-door convertible. The SL came with classic Mercedes-Benz styling features of a large tristar emblem in the middle of the single horizontal bar grille, as well as an angular body that differed considerably from its predecessors.

This particular SL roadster is painted beautifully in white with a sleek contrasting black interior, and it is also a European specification car. This 230SL has recently been painted, has a new black Haartz convertible top, new chrome and radial tires. Although, the technical features of the 230SL weren’t incredibly new, improvements to them and the upgraded safety made this Mercedes-Benz special. For the first time, they offered power steering and automatic transmission in a sports car. Also, they worked extensively on the safety of this model, and as a result, the exterior was built with a rigid passenger cell and crumple zone and the interior free of sharp corners. Unique, sophisticated styling is what sets Mercedes-Benz apart from other luxury car manufacturers and this 230SL is no exception to their high standard of craftsmanship.