Description
Penned by the legendary designer Paul Bracq, this quintessential 60’s roadster, with its Pagoda shaped hard top, quickly became an icon and favourite of the rich & famous. It is still much sought after, particularly the top of the range 280SL. With its elegant lines and silky smooth injected M130 straight six engine which boasts plenty of power and suits the car’s luxurious grand touring nature. All round disc brakes and even a crumple zone showcases how far ahead of its time this beautiful car was.
Which brings us to this superb example, an automatic UK RHD 280SL which has always been the one to have. Thanks to its good storage conditions and a charmed life with plenty of maintenance, this rather special V5 matching numbers example drives and presents beautifully, Resplendent in factory correct Silver Grey metallic (180) over Dark Blue leather (245) and finished with a Dark Blue Hood, a colour combination many W113 afficionados believe to be the most desirable. Having spent a good few hours photographing the car we would not argue with the claim! Condition is everything and there’s very little to fault on this one
Supplied new by County Garage in Cheltenham, Mercedes-Benz dealers, in April 1969. The service history is very good and shows that the car has been maintained relatively consistently to a high standard from new. Its most recent services have been carried out by Colin Ferns, renowned Mercedes specialists in Richmond. The most recent service being under 100 miles ago.
The restoration work has been preserved in photographs as you can see and there is a recent invoice for £62000 to cover this. The vendor has only used the best during this process including all new wood from Silvercrest, D-Class for the seats and new hood, KHM for the factory correct twin loop carpets throughout, Benchmark for interior trim, SL Shop for all new rubber seals, Roger Edwards for sundry works, original Mercedes-Benz OEM fuel tank, front wings and scuttle, Boyd Cooper for welding and bare metal respray with Colin Ferns renewing the fuel system, servicing the car and fitting 123 electronic ignition. The car has a new MOT and is ofcourse ULEZ free.
The V5 shows the matching chassis and engine numbers. The leather folder contains all the manuals, as well as all the original paperwork, and the stamped service history book.
Nestling into its factory leather seating, this w113 feels like a timewarp. From the subtle walnut wood trims to the colour coded dash and door cards, the astonishing interior of this car transports you back to a more glamorous time: there are virtually no giveaways of the car’s age, a testament to a lifetime of careful ownership and a very sympathetic restoration. It's clear from first glance that this has been the pride and joy of every driver to sit in its opulent cabin. The seats are in fabulous condition, as they should be having just been finished by D-Class. The carpets across the board are as per factory and new, with no marks or discolouration, and a glance underneath those in the front reveals a clean and rust-free floorpan. The stylish wood veneer on the dash and centre section looks wonderful, as you would expect from craftsmen such as Silvercrest in Iver, with all of the dials and switches appearing clean and easy to read. To complete the authentic timewarp experience, the car even boasts a factory style Becker radio updated with Bluetooth so the lines of the car were not ruined by a tall aerial. The boot is in excellent order with its original rubber mat in situ - there is an original jack, wheel brace and spare wheel. The tool-roll and tools are also present in excellent order.
Ultimately, this is an utterly superb example of the W113.
Sharp lines and a timeless character are fixtures of the W113's popularity, and as an ambassador for the model, this car is exceptional. As with the interior, the car’s exterior looks as though it has just been driven out of the showroom. Finished in Silver Grey - one of the most desirable and elegant colours for the Pagoda - the external presentation of this car is immaculate, having had a recent bare metal respray, we would expect this. To sweeten the deal, the car comes complete with its hard top, which looks to be in excellent condition - it even features a newly veneered walnut bow around the rear screen as per factory.
This continues across the chrome work, which is brightly presented, and the headlight lenses, which appear to be clean and fracture-free. The soft-top is also in as new condition.
Underneath, the car appears to have benefited from being kept clean and dry - we can't discern any signs of corrosion or reason for concern.
This car was restored, from the outset to be a drivers car, not a trailer queen. To this end emphasis was put on making sure it was reliable and ran properly. The entire fuel system and tank were renewed with electronic ignition fitted to ensure reliability. The car starts on first turn of the key, gear changes are smooth and quiet, and the engine sounds lovely. Having just been given a full service this is not surprising. The vendor assures us that it drives as well as it looks. With its modest mileage and that reassuring service history, in addition to the W113’s reputation for longevity and reliability, the car should offer many more years of trouble-free motoring.
Open the bonnet and, again, it’s difficult to believe the car’s age and mileage. The engine looks reassuringly original without the superficial chroming which we see so much of in restored cars these days. Aside from a modern battery everything looks much as it must have done when new.
The w113 is a bona fide all time classic. For top-down motoring in style and comfort, there’s little to match it. Its looks are timeless and values are rock solid, especially as UK RHD, in the right colour scheme, are now so hard to find. There’s virtually nothing to fault on this one. If you’ve always wanted a 280SL Pagoda, to own, enjoy and to drive, this is the one to invest in.
