We’ve seen a number of Pagodas come and go, and they all have their own special charms that make each one unique – but it’s not often that we come across one as nice as this. The fact that it’s a 280 instantly makes it desirable, and it’s the quality of the finish combined with the excellent specification that really sets it apart.

A matching-numbers UK car, this SL comes with an impressive history file including documentation of a full engine rebuild using original Mercedes-Benz parts around 12,000 miles ago (at a cost of well over £12,000). 2018 saw the car receive some attention to the interior, with the leather tastefully reconnolised along with the boot floor being replaced, and in 2024 it's seen some seismic improvements to bring it up to the fabulous condition you see today. Most notably, it's had the entire floor replaced – the floor panels, inner and outer sills, rear chassis legs – and all correctly spot-welded and galvanised to ensure that it has a factory-style fit-and-finish as well as being usefully futureproofed.

Furthermore, the body received a complete repaint in delightful 904-code Midnight Blue (arguably the prettiest hue for a Pagoda), while a brand-new mohair soft-top has just been fitted. It's also sailed through an MOT with no advisories, meaning that every former advisory on the system has been comprehensively addressed, belt and braces.

It really is a wonderful car to drive as well, the engine and transmission behaving impeccably. This is a Pagoda that you'll want to use as much as possible – a thoroughly impressive example of the breed.
 

 

The Midnight Blue paint suits those elegant lines so well, doesn't it? The freshly applied paintwork really gleams, as well as highlighting how straight the panels are, and the shutlines are all tight and even, the doors closing with a reassuring thunk. The chrome is tidy, and the correct trim and badging is in place. Aside from a crack to one rear cluster, the light lenses are all good, as is the window glass (the door windows having previously been replaced with new-old-stock items). The car wears its correct set of 14" steel wheels with colour-coded hubcaps, fitted with matching whitewall tyres. The mohair soft-top is brand new, while the car also comes with its original factory hard-top which has also been repainted and is in good order with a tidy headlining.

The works to the underside included cutting out and replacing the floor panels, inner and outer sills and rear chassis legs with genuine Mercedes-Benz panels, which has all been carried out to meticulous standards to give this SL a new lease of life and many, many more miles to enjoy.
 A Pagoda cabin is always a pleasant place to be, and that’s particularly true in this case. The seats and doorcards have been tastefully reconnolised and all present very well, and the carpets are tidy on the floors and behind the seats.

The wood trim on the dash top is neat and the gauges are all functioning correctly with no warning lights illuminated. The only deviation from standard specs is a modern retro-style digital radio, which has a cunning cable secreted in the glovebox for phone/device connection. The lights behind the heater sliders all work (which is never a given with a Pagoda!), and the steering wheel is in clean condition. Inside the boot it's all dry and tidy, the boot floor having been previously replaced, and atop the spare wheel we find a fully stocked tool roll.
 

This car has covered just 112,000 miles from new, all of which is backed up by the huge sheaf of previous MOTs, and we can see from the history file that at 99,000 miles it enjoyed a full engine rebuild at a cost of £12,691. Today it drives like a dream – the engine fires readily on the first turn of the key and settles into an even idle, pulling keenly yet smoothly through the revs just as a 280 should.

The automatic transmission shifts with a slick action, and the car rides extremely well on its suspension. The brakes pull it up straight and true as they ought, and the power steering is well-weighted and functioning correctly. The car has recently been driven back to the UK from a jaunt to Spain, which proves its inherent grand touring credentials.

A divine car to drive, this impressively specced and beautifully finished Pagoda offers the full package – provenance, usability, solidity, quality... it ticks a lot of boxes, is a genuine head-turner, and provides endless joy with every journey.
 

BEFORE YOU BUY 

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