Introduced to an eager crowd of onlookers at the Geneva motor show in 1963, the now legendary W113 Mercedes-Benz SL was a hit from the beginning. Produced until 1971 just under 50,000 W113’s were produced and delivered around the world. Penned by a brilliant team of Mercedes designers they included the patented, slightly concaved hardtop, which would later inspire the Pagoda nickname.

After almost 60 years the W113 generation is one of the best classic cars money can buy. With a combination of the powerful inline-six engine, sleek aluminum body, and brilliant handling, the Pagoda is as good a car today as it was when it launched in 1963. With the ability to have either the ‘Pagoda’ hardtop, fabric soft-top or no top at all the SL provides a car for almost any situation you may throw at it.

Finding its first owner on the 24th of March 1966 this UK allocated right-hand drive Pagoda would stay with this owner on and off for the next two decades. It is said that this owner would sell it to his friends from time to time to raise funds for new business ventures, hence the number of owners on the V5.

During this ownership one of the major upgrades, they had done to this Pagoda was the change from the original 230sl engine to the more powerful 250sl straight-six, this popular of the time modification gives the SL a much-needed boost of power. Alongside the new engine, they would also send the car to Malin Motor Bodies of Sheffield to have a respray and a re-trim, which is one of the reasons that this car looks so spectacular today.

With the level of care that this car has received over the past 50 years of its life, the new owner will be getting one amazing example of a highly sort after classic car.

There is an extremely comprehensive dossier of paperwork that comes with this car evidencing the amount of care that this car has received over its life. The current owner has organised them neatly into a ring binder folder to make it easier to navigate all the history.

To begin with, the all-important V5c is presented so a change of ownership will be quick and easy for the excited new owner on the day of collection. There are a few old MOT certificates and other assorted pieces of paperwork within the big ring binder.

Alongside the basic paperwork, there are several big bills that major work that has been carried out on this car one of them from Mercedes-Benz SL specialists ‘The SL Shop’ lists almost £4,400 worth of work to keep this car in tip-top shape. Some of the works listed on this invoice include the removal of the front suspension to renew all of the bushes, the inspection, removal, and refurbishment of the steering box, fitting modern seatbelt, and all new fuel pipes.

Before the current owner picked up the car they commissioned a classic car specialist to inspect this 230SL and after a few hours spent with the car a comprehensive list was produced. On the advice of this survey, the current owner had a few pieces of work down prior to picking the car up. These include what appears to be a full service including new spark plugs, fluid, and filter changes. These works were carried out by Steve Redfearn, a specialist in Mercedes Benz.

As you will see from all of these invoices there has been an emphasis on quality throughout the history of this car, it is thanks to all of the previous owner’s attention to detail that this Pagoda now sits in such amazing condition.

When you peer through the windows of the SL your jaw hits the floor as you are met with the beautifully striking red leather interior. Who wants a boring black or even blue interior when you can stand out with a red interior, it also compliments the stunning paint on the exterior.

For a car that is knocking on the door of 60 years old the interior is in brilliant condition, from the door handles to the intricate instrument binnacle everything is purposeful and built to last. The two front seats are in great condition showing no signs of rips, tears, or even any stains. They fold forwards to present more storage space behind the seats, they also show off their famous twin vent slits in the rear. To match the red leather seats the red carpets are also in great condition and help tie together the entire interior.

The only slight piece of damage on the interior, and it is only slight, is a small warp/crack that is present on the original wooden panel at the top of the dashboard. However, a quick search on the SL Shop and you can see that a replacement will be easy to source.

When you lower yourself into this car you are immediately met with the beautifully and wonderfully thought-out dashboard. It is great to see that all the dials that show the driver all the important driving information are crystal clear with no condensation behind the lenses. Just to the left of the speedometer, we can see a modern addition, but can you guess what it is? It’s the radio, the previous owner has fitted a modern DAB radio the in keeps with the classic look of the interior, with compatibility for modern phones and handsfree calling with a microphone placed just behind the steering wheel.

The interior of this SL Pagoda is truly stunning, one that has to be seen to be believed, the new owner will be collecting a perfect example of what a convertible roadster should look like.

The exterior of the Pagoda is a stunning piece of automotive design that has never been beaten by subsequent SL products. With a beautiful white paint job, the exterior is in amazing condition, with all the correct pieces of trim still being present it is unbelievable that this car is almost 60 years old. Still wearing its factory original ‘pagoda-style hard top roof it is a true head-turner.

Every element on the exterior of this car is present in amazing condition, the famous vertical headlights have the correct lenses on the front and the chrome surrounds are perfect too. Other chrome parts on the exterior such as the bumper, side trim, and window surround are also in amazing/like-new condition showing no signs of wear and tear.

The benefit of the SL platform is that not only do you get a hardtop, but you also get a soft-top stowed away under the rear deck. This roof can be erected quickly should you be caught out by the English weather. Once you have locked this roof into position you can see that apart from two repair patches just behind the doors it is in remarkably good condition. The fabric does slightly lift around the rear deck but do not worry about this as the roof does still seal properly.

The iconic painted Mercedes hub caps are all present, with all four being in great condition too it is plain to see that this car has been treasured throughout its life. It also runs on four white-walled Hankook tires with good tread all round.

Overall, the exterior of this Pagoda is in excellent condition, no matter where you take this car it will always turn a head or two through its sheer beauty.

From the large history file, visual condition, and on the road driving experience on the day of the photoshoot we can say that this 230SL is in great mechanical condition. Over the past 60 years, it has been serviced correctly and has had some big money spent to keep it in the current condition.

With the more powerful 250SL engine fitted to this car, it now performs how it always should have done. Out on the road, she is responsive and pulls well, and coupled with the smooth automatic transmission it is a classic car that you could easily use for a daily commute.

With this SL having recently received works by independent specialists such as The SL Shop and Steve Redfearn, with the latter adjusting the valves and replacing a noisy rocker arm, it now runs as an SL should. If we also factor in the recent suspension and braking overhaul it had from The SL Shop it rides and stops like a newer SL.

You should have no issue with this Pagoda, classic Mercedes’ are known for their bulletproof reliability and the 230SL is the same. This car should be good for another 70,000 miles, especially after the recent works that have been carried out.

The 230SL Pagoda is a legendary car amongst the car community and unlike many on the market, this is a right-hand drive example, making it perfect for UK roads. With this car being presented in a wonderful combination of a white exterior and a striking red leather interior it is highly desirable.  

With the help of the collection of paperwork that comes with the car, it is easy to see that this car has been cared for properly over the previous 60 years of its life and is now waiting for the next owner to reap the rewards. As we emerge from a rather wet and blustery winter period this SL Pagoda will be a perfect car to enjoy the upcoming spring and summer in. Whether you fancy a trip to the South of France or the Great British seaside this 230SL Pagoda will take you there effortlessly.