1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SL Pagoda

The Mercedes 280SL "Pagoda' was introduced in December 1967 and continued in production through until February 1971. The W113 was then replaced by its successor, the entirely new and substantially heavier R107 350SL. Over the years, the W113 evolved from a "sports car' into a comfortable "grand tourer' and was usually equipped with the four-speed automatic transmission and air conditioning. The obvious change from its predecessor was the upgrade to the 2778cc M130 engine, which purists will tell you, finally gave the Pagoda adequate power. Now suitably refined, the car proved popular in the US market, however we've seen a significant increase in demand here in the UK, partly due to the 190SL rising beyond the budgets of many.

This 280SL is an original right-hand drive UK car and is offered in all-round good order. The underside of this car is solid throughout and shows none of the tell-tale signs of corrosion or poor repair synonymous with some Pagodas, suggesting that it has been cherished and well kept.The car was restored in the early 2000s and has travelled very few miles since. The panel fit for this car is again commendable with the paintwork in similarly worthy condition sporting an unusual 571 Red colour which suits the car exceptionally well and complements the Black leather interior beautifully. The hard-top, included with the car, is not currently in the same order as the rest of the vehicle and is in need of complete restoration. The previous owner preferred to enjoy his Mercedes on sunny days and largely for local journeys. The dashboard shows no sign of fading and cracking as we often see on cars of this type, the soft-top is in almost brand new condition and fits snugly to the windscreen when in place.

With prices of these motor cars rising rapidly, particularly on highly sought-after 280SL models with the 2778cc engine, we feel we've guided this car very sensibly in order to allow a new owner to add the last ten per cent of detail to really make this car top-drawer. Attention to the hard-top is necessary to marry this up to the standard of the car. In standard specification and offered with UK V5C registration and fresh MoT, owner's handbook but regrettably no other documentation, this fine Pagoda is a sensible choice for a privateer owner to secure and add-value as they use and enjoy their classic Mercedes.