• One of 10 sunroof hard-tops ever made! 
• Original Right-Hand drive example
• Finished in desirable silver over black

• Subject to a total restoration

• Virtually unblemished interior 

• Former museum car

The 280 SL ‘Pagoda’ is well-known as a robust, dependable, and practical solution to the classic touring car market, and in 2.8-litre form also had a respectable turn of speed, making it the most sought of the W113 variants. Because so many were purchased by those who had the resources and desire to take care of the cars, a high number of the iconic W113 Pagoda SL's have survived, owing to their customary sturdy build quality and excellent parts availability.

This is a unique opportunity to obtain a 1971 example of a well-presented example of a rare RHD 280 SL ‘California Coupe’ featuring both a removable hardtop and sunroof combination with a drop-down rear seat bench. It’s believed that just 10 original hardtops with the sunroof options were ordered from the factory. In addition, the car also comes with some other unique options, which offers a unique aesthetic touch.

While its early history is unknown, this car was imported from New Zealand and had undergone a thorough restoration in the early 2000s. It was later stored at Fazazz, a Christchurch-based speciality classic car dealer and museum, and eventually sold to its new owner for rural outings and the occasional car exhibition.

The owner went further into making it even more noteworthy, by seeking a hardtop (with the ultra-rare sunroof option) along with a set of ski rack bars and holders, which were supplied via a well known SL specialist in Holland. With the later models, the ride became softer, implying that Mercedes wanted to portray it as a tourer rather than a pure sports vehicle, so with that in mind, the owner upgraded the road springs with uprated stiffer items, which provides a firmer but not uncomfortable sporting ride and complemented with a set of new bushes.

The final piece to making this car stand out is the installation of a Becker Mexico radio providing a nice visual finishing touch to the tasteful cabin. It appears that the car was passed to a new owner in the mid-2000’s who continued to spend on the car. The car was then shipped over to the UK in 2015, where it has since been treated to new carpets, seatbelts, door trims and a full restoration of the interior wood details. Since being in the UK, the car hasn’t covered much more than 2,000 miles.

The car comes with a lot of investigative paperwork relating to the car, suggesting that the owner was keen to find out as much information about his car as possible. As a result, there are printouts of emails that were sent back and forth to specialists, W113 info from web pages of the era, as well as traditional invoices and documents for the work carried out.

The car also has evidence that it was regularly serviced and maintained by Mercedes for the rest of its duration in New Zealand. Upon reaching British shores in 2015, the car has seen an additional 3.5K’s worth of work, mainly spent on the aesthetic aspects of the cabin. The car comes with a current V5 and is tax and MOT exempt.

The interior has seen extensive work over the years, with very little in terms of wear or damage to report. Both of the front seats are as good as new, with no suggestion of age and they retain their firmness as well as their aesthetic appeal. 

The car has the rare rear seat bench option, and while serve little more than a padded area for perhaps a well-behaved dog or some light shopping, it is in very good condition and displays no suggestions of damage other than minor indentations. 

The carpets and mats are one of the recent UK fittings and are in very good condition with no damage, with no suggestions of water ingress or dampness observed in the car. The boot has a rubber mat and is in good condition and again appears to be dry.

The dashboard is beautifully presented. The wood finishing is another recent renovation, with no sun damage observed on the facia at all. The dials and switches are in good order and all are said to be functional. The hand brake lever, gear stick and gaiter are good, with the steering wheel showing typical signs of age-related wear but will not take away anything from the driving experience. 

One of the many highlights which stand out on this car is the inclusion of a functioning Becker Mexico AM/FM radio which is attached to a pair of rear-mounted Clarion speakers. The door cards were subject to renovation and therefore in very good condition and the interior hardtop headlining is good, with minor suggestions of age but is free from tears or damage.

Despite the green tint that appears in some of the photos caused by the foliage in the background, this Pagoda is finished in the desirable silver paintwork with black leather interior. 

The car is in good shape, largely down to the extensive restoration some 25 years ago. As a result, the structure is solid with boot floor, floorpan, front cross beam and inner wheel arches and door sills all looking decent. The quality of work has been carried out to a high standard with uniform and flush fitting panels, equal panel gaps and no issues with opening and closing the doors. A close inspection of the tidy spot welds in the engine bay suggests the car has retained a lot of its originality. 

There are a handful of small bubbles noted around the nearside front wing around the headlamps, under the rear boot chrome finisher and a handful noted on the roof. There is also evidence of exposed corrosion noted on the rear valance above the tailpipes and a few blemishes emerging on the inner trim of the rear lights. The paint has a deep shine and an even finish with a very good lustre throughout. There are a small number of scratches and chips observed on the body but nothing that will distract. 

The car is reliant on its elegant chrome details, so luckily the general condition is positive with the bumpers, light units embellishers, side trim and badges all looking particularly good, with the occasional light blemish noted. The windscreen frame shows a few age related marks but most importantly is corrosion-free. The petrol filler cap is beautifully presented. 

All of the glass and rubbers are good with no significant suggestions of wear. The lights and lens are all European spec and are in good condition. Cars with the option known as the ‘California Coupe’ were not fitted with a convertible hood, but the intention was to retain the removable top function - ideal for its intended sun-blessed markets where the hood well would be replaced by a rear bench seat. The hardtop fit is very good, with the removal not causing any issues, the hood was shimmed and adjusted to fit by specialists. 

The sunroof is believed to be leak-free and is fully operational. The fetching whitewall tyres are in decent order and were fitted around 10 years ago and have plenty of tread left on them. The wheels covers are correct for the model and are free of wear but a couple of them display a handful of minor dents. 

As a pricey proposition when new, the 280 SL was well furnished for the driver and came with power steering and power-assisted brakes. As the most powerful W113, the 2778cc straight-six engine offers decent performance which goes some way into making these very usable cars on modern roads. It starts up instantly, thanks to the electric ignition system which was installed as part of the restoration, there were no excessive plumes of smoke upon start up, with the engine sounding in good health and idling with no untoward noises.

The car is said to drive well with a purposeful engine note. There are no reported issues in regards to overheating, with the water hoses all looking good having been subject to an overhaul around 8 years ago. The brakes and exhausts systems are traditionally weak points of the W117, but all appear to be in good order, both have seen attention in the last 15 years. 

There were no ‘oil sweats’ noted, but an engine of this age cannot be expected to be 100% leak-free. The fuel injection system is said to be in good health and the car ticks over with no significant undulations. An all-round spring upgrade was carried out to iron out the W117’s reputation for ‘nose diving’ braking characteristics and as a result, the car is said to stop with far less drama. 

With much of the restoration needs fulfilled, this former Museum piece also had the bonus of being enjoyed as part of its intended purpose - lazy out of town cruises.

It has seen a series of careful owners who have gone some way into making this car unique, without sacrificing any of the attributes that make the W113 so desirable.
 
Well known for its usable qualities, this car offers an elegant solution for those who look for comfort, low noise levels and build quality above outright acceleration and top speed. Elegance and class personified.