The Mercedes-Benz 280SL was a sports car that was intended for grown-ups and a model for enthusiasts and devotees of cars saturated with character and individuality. Built for the pure pleasure of driving, they have ended up as one of the most desirable German sports machines of all time. The 280SL has a character all its own with all of the expected and typical distinctions of a Mercedes-Benz, in classic lines that have been well-proven to have never dated. It was conceived as a design as modern as tomorrow with no concessions to short-lived fashions. It was a bold concept that was executed to technical perfection.

The preceding 1963 Mercedes-Benz 230SL two-seater represented a huge improvement over the outgoing 190SL roadster. Its 150-hp, six-cylinder engine replaced the 190’s four-cylinder, and it was gradually increased in size to the most desirable 180-hp, 2.8-liter Bosch fuel-injected inline six-cylinder engine in 1968. The bulbous bodywork of the 190 was replaced by Paul Bracque’s crisp, angular design, with its unusual concave hardtop roof that led to the sobriquet “Pagoda Top,” and the model was produced with until 1971.

The 280SL has a 94.5-inch wheelbase, four-speed manual transmission, independent front suspension with coil springs, independent rear suspension with low-pivot swing axles, trailing arms and coil springs and four-wheel hydraulic disc brakes. Finished in red with a tan interior, this example is also equipped with a radio and power steering.