Monterey 2015
1969 Mercedes-Benz 280 SL 'Pagoda'
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$148,500 USD | Sold
| Monterey, California
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- Two owners from new, with single ownership from 1978
- Features factory soft- and hard-tops, air conditioning, and automatic transmission
- Recent cosmetic and mechanical restoration
180 bhp, 2,778 cc SOHC inline six-cylinder engine with Bosch mechanical fuel injection, four-speed automatic 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. Wheelbase: 94.5 in.
The W113 platform Mercedes SL, introduced in 1963 to follow up the 300 SL and 190 SL, quickly proved to be a worthy successor to two of the most well-regarded automobiles in Mercedes-Benz’s fabled history. The ultimate specification within the W113 platform was the 280 SL. It was fitted with a 2.8-liter, inline six-cylinder engine capable of producing 180 horsepower, and it offered very respectable performance, the kind befitting of such a fine automobile. Despite being the top-shelf offering, the 280 SL also proved to be the most popular variant of the model, and 23,885 examples were built from 1968 to 1971.
Not only was it an excellent automobile, but the W113’s crisp, angular Paul Bracq styling turned the new SL into a style icon. Like the little black dress, the Pagoda SL was a car that would never go out of style, nor would it ever find a social occasion where it would be out of place.
According to the consignor, the Pagoda offered here has been in the custody of just two owners from new and was in the hands of its second owner from 1978 until recently. Delivered new to the U.S., the car retains both its factory hardtop and soft-tops, and it is outfitted with the four-speed automatic transmission, as well as air conditioning.
The car has been treated to a recent engine-out restoration. After the engine and transmission were removed from the car to be fully rebuilt, the body was completely stripped to bare metal to be refinished in its current shade of white. The suspension was fully rebuilt and fitted with an all-new braking system. Additionally, the car’s chrome was all triple plated, and an all-new exhaust was fitted. Inside, the gauges were completely rebuilt, and the interior was completely restored using only correct Mercedes-Benz materials.
This is truly a car that looks just as good as it drives, and the Pagoda SLs are well respected by enthusiasts everywhere and are regarded by many to be the quintessential Mercedes-Benz convertible. Offering enough practicality to be used on a daily basis and a character and charm all their own, every enthusiast should own a W113 Mercedes-Benz SL at least once in their life.
