Highlight

Stunning matching numbers example
Bodywork in exceptional form
Gentle and charming interior patina
Rare manual gearbox
A joy to drive!

The Appeal

The spiritual successor to the much loved 190SL and 300SL, the 230SL carried the Sehr Leight torch after the end of the line for its older brothers. Making its debut at the 1963 Geneva Auto show to great acclaim, until this point Mercedes had relied heavily on rounded, voluptuous lines to characterize its vehicles - but the 230SL was a bit of a departure, bordering on being square. The German marque pulled it off though, beautiful lines and intelligent wheel placement made this W113 an absolute blessing to stare at.

This particular example has been evidently cared for since day one, with a rich history of loving custodians keeping it for long periods and treating it with total disregard to money - and rightly so, any Pagoda is worthy of spoiling. A full engine out respray in the factory colour of Royal Blue DB332 was completed circa 2012 / 2013 and thanks to this car living a life of luxury in dry storage since then, it is still wonderfully well presented.

It seems to be a carefully guarded secret that the 230SL fitted with a manual gearbox is actually one of the most responsive and thus fun versions to drive so it is no surprise that this car is described to be a joy to drive!

The History and Paperwork

Originally registered in 1964
Kept by the original owner for an astonishing 25 years
Sold to the second owner who kept the car lovingly for 7 years
The third owner, an avid car collector, lavished massive amounts of money on the vehicle bringing it back up to rude health
Unfortunately this owner lost a number of large bill invoices for work undertaken in his ownership
Full engine out respray in Royal Blue in 2012/13
The fourth, and current owner, bought the car in 2014 and was later used as his daughters wedding vehicle
Fuel injection system was refurbished and calibrated by a specialist at a cot of almost £2,000
In 2016 a new hood was fitted to the vehicle, and remains in outstanding condition
Some recent invoices are present with the vehicle
A few old MOT certificates are also available
V5C current and in present keepers name

The Interior

Stunning original specification
Charming and gentle patinated leather
Cream leather with blue piping
Chrome work in lovely condition with some gentle signs of age in areas
Lovely three-spoke steering wheel, wooden rim with great brighwork
Expensive woodworking along the dashboard appears in lovely original condition
Wooden air vent on the dash is in gorgeous shape
New floor carpets were fitted to the vehicle in 2012/2013 and still appear in as new condition
Leather trimmed dashboard gently worn but still fabulous
Original Becker Europa radio still sits present in the dashboard
Original gauges beautifully presented

Arguably one of the most charming aspect of this lovely 230SL, the gently patinated interior tells a long story of loving ownerships and endless care taken - finding a Pagoda that hasn’t been restored beyond recognition is a hard find, this one still retains all of its soul and history, and we absolutely adore it to no end.

Finished in a stunning cream leather with blue piping and blue carpets, with brightwork laced throughout and hints of woodwork, this is a timeless place to be. Stepping into the drivers side and resting down in the driver's seat instantly gives you a feel for how opulent these lovely Merc’s are, even with the gentle patina on the leatherwork the seats remain wonderfully plush and comfortable. No rips or tears are apparent anywhere on either seat, and the stitching looks to be in wonderful shape too. Door cards are very much the same, with gentle signs of patina however no signs of any actual damage, with lovely brightwork on the handles and window winders.

Directly in front of the driver's seat rests the gorgeous three-spoke steering wheel with a wooden outer rim and brightwork spokes, with the Mercedes badge sitting proudly right in the middle. The original steering wheel does come with the vehicle should the new custodian wish to change this for the original cream wheel. Just behind this, the original gauges sit completely functional and in wonderful condition, the fascia showing just some light signs of age and patina.

Moving across the dashboard, the original Becker radio sits in its place beside the VDO clock face, both of which look absolutely wonderful and right at home a they should, the air controls sitting directly above with gently aged brightwork surroundings.

New carpets were placed in the vehicle around 2012 / 2013, and due to the car barely turning a wheel since then they are still in like new condition! The carpets behind the front seats were also replaced and look just the same. A new hood was fitted in 2016 and as you can imagine, this is absolutely flawless inside and out too!

The Exterior

Beautiful Royal Blue paintwork (DB332)
Complete engine out respray around 2012 / 2013
Hard top sprayed to match the vehicle even though it was in great condition
A front wing and both sills were replaced at the time of respray
The remainder of the body was in exceptional shape and required no intervention
Original wheels with excellent brightwork
All exterior brightwork in fantastic condition
Hood replaced in 2016 and still incredibly well presented
All panel gaps appear to be of factory fitment

With Mercedes pushing themselves a little out of their comfort zone with a more square body than they were used to, the result was magnificent as you can see. Beautifully placed lines with a tall removable “Pagoda” made this among the best looking vehicles of its era for the German marque, and not much has changed there.

Starting at the front of the vehicle the paintwork presents itself in stunning condition thanks to the respray undertaken a decade ago, minimal mileage since then has preserved the paint wonderfully. The headlights show some gentle signs of age however they appear to be free of any damage or cracks and are original glass. Brightwork around the grill is very well maintained as is the Mercedes badge, and the chrome bumper is well presented to with just some very gentle patina that would be easy to remove with a little bit of polish. The vent at the rear of the bonnet is also in fabulous condition, with excellent brightwork and no signs of any damage.

Moving around to the side of the Pagoda we get a better view of that boxy body shape that Mercedes took a gamble with, and it's clear to see that gamble was well worth it, and that statement rings true after nearly 58 years of this car being on the road. All of the panels are straight and true and the paintwork presents itself wonderfully as you would expect, and the brightwork runners along the side of the car are very well maintained. All four wheels are in gorgeous condition with lovely chrome work and seemingly no signs of any damage on any corner, the colour matching hubs are also wonderful!

Scooting to the rear of the 230, we see a continuation of that stunning boxy design work that Mercedes made such a good job with. Again, the paintwork here is fantastic and the chrome work is exactly the same, shimmering in the sunlight ready to catch some attention. The original rear lights are still in place and appear in great condition with no signs of any damage and retain a lovely level of saturation.

The exterior of this Pagoda is outstanding, beautifully preserved paintwork and extremely well kept brightwork throughout shows that this car has been loved and cherished over the years.

The Mechanics

2.3L inline 6 cylinder engine
Rear wheel-drive configuration
Four speed manual transmission
Front girdling disk brakes and power assisted rear drums
148bhp output
Bosch fuel injection system, refurbished by a specialist in 2014
Extensive mechanical recommissioning in 2021 totaling over £5,600

Borrowing from the 220 series sedan, the 230SL featured the same monocoque design with front suspension courtesy of coils and wishbones and the rear incorporated a single-pivot swing axle and transverse spring set up, compensating for camber. This isn’t all the 230 borrowed, it also took the inline 6 engine, boring it out to 2.3 litres, incorporating Bosch fuel injection and upping the power output to a pretty stout 148bhp, all mated to a four speed transmission powering the rear wheels.

In 2021, this lovely Pagoda underwent some extensive mechanical recommissioning with invoices totalling over £5,600. The work included the following; replacement of all fuel hoses and clips (£319.83 plus VAT), removal of brake master cylinder and servo, repair of brake pedal relay lever, repair the water tank and fitting of bulkhead cover (£942.92 plus VAT), fitting of a new bonnet torsion spring with safety strap (£370.19 plus VAT), replacement of all necessary bushes, seals, boots to rear axle, new brake pipe brackets and exhaust repair (£1,847.78 plus VAT), replacement of front subframe mountings and all four shock absorbers (£1,622 plus VAT), replace broke heater flap and replace heater valve seal (£457.95 plus VAT), Injection pump gaskets (£423.20 plus VAT), front and rear gearbox gaskets/seals and gearbox bushes replaced (£799.25 plus VAT).

Enough to make your eyes water, right? This is just recent work too, the car has been lavished with money over the years through its ownerships, and it shows. The vehicle to this day drives beautifully, power delivery remains strong and predictable, the gearbox is smooth and easy to navigate, and the brakes remain powerful and run true. This is one well mechanically sorted example ready and itching to get out on the road!

Summary

Finding a 230SL is easy - however, finding a 230SL that hasn’t been stripped of all of its soul and history is quite a task. This Pagoda has gentle hints of patina pointing towards its rich history of being adored and lavished with money, ownerships which paid no regard to money. Some may view these as “imperfections”, but imperfections make perfect objects and without them, they would all be the same.

Well sorted, beautifully maintained and rich with stories to tell, any 230SL is a fantastic buy for any collector, but an example such as this really grabs at your heartstrings. A true romantics car, destined for those who have impeccable taste.

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