A legendary fixture in the classic car world, the W113 is one of the most coveted classics in the world of top-down motoring. Its appeal endures to this day, proudly sporting glamorous looks and a build quality that continues to impress. Combine that with excellent handling, and it's no wonder that the car is so desirable.

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 and 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 showcase how far ahead of its time this beautiful car was. Which brings us to this superb example, an automatic UK Right hand drive 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 Pagoda is offered from a private collection.  This 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 aficionados 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.

Vendor says: I purchased this car for myself and I spent a long time finding the right car. I value originality so re-chroming was carried out where needed - rather than for the sake of it. The front bumper, door trim and wing mirrors were all professionally polished and re chromed, the rest was polished and left original. The same principle was applied to the engine detail, I did not want the pipes chromed etc so the manifold and rocker cover were vapour blasted instead, the rest was professionally detailed. 
With the Becker Mexico radio I wanted to maintain the original pinstripe face, so the chrome and knobs all date from 1969, rather than renewing them. The radio itself has been brought into the 21st century by upgrading it for bluetooth. 
I am reluctantly parting with this very special car due to a new business venture which is commanding more of my time than I'd anticipated. The car drives beautifully and the new custodian will be delighted.  

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 was under 100 miles ago. The restoration work has been preserved in photographs, as you can see, and there is a recent invoice for £62,000 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.

As stated, the V5 is in the vendor's name and 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.

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, being picky we found only one tiny mark measuring less 5mm on the front wing, does not detract and if we hadn’t mentioned it you would not have noticed it. 

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 very 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. We have been told the car has just been WaxOyled, which is reassuring to know.

Nestling into its factory leather seating, this W113 feels like a time warp. From the subtle walnut wood trims to the color-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 time warp 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.