Mercedes-Benz 280 SL Pagoda 1971

Manual with hard-top
First registration 09/1971
Imported in 2018 in Belgium
Manual 4 gear
US version
Belgian Technical control (MOT) valid until 2029
Belgium registration papers
6 cylinders in line 2778cm, 12-valves single injection
170hp @5750rpm with 241Nm
Rear wheel drive
4-disc brakes, a rarity for that time
Re-paint in grey, original color was white with black interior
Comes with matching hardtop

History

The personal luxury convertible may have truly come into existence with the advent of the 1968-1971 Mercedes-Benz 280 SL – itself an evolution of the earlier 1963-1967 230 and 250 SL, or “W113″ in Mercedes-Benz speak. Somewhat more commonly, the cars took on a “Pagoda” nickname collectively because of their unusual hardtop shape. Originally launched at the 1963 Geneva Motor Show, the W113 was a clean sheet design for a new decade.

The 280 SL, like our feature car, was the last of the series, and today is still instantly recognizable as a Mercedes.

The 280 SL was a technological tour de force when it debuted, and featured a fuel-injected, overhead camshaft, straight-six engine displacing 2778cc, producing 170 horsepower. With disc brakes on all four wheels, a rarity for the time period, Mercedes-Benz took lengths to ensure the 280 SL stopped as well as it went too. Four- and five-speed manual transmissions were available, but most American-market SL’s were equipped with a smooth shifting four-speed automatic. 60 mph comes up in 8.6 seconds and stops from 70 mph in just 233 feet, so even today the SL still has enough performance that one could conceivably drive it everyday.
While the “SL” in Mercedes nomenclature stands for “Sport Leicht” or “Sports Lightweight”, this is somewhat of a misnomer as the 280 SL is more of a cruiser, and a very solid one at that, make no mistake. The unibody construction featured front and rear deformation zones, a first for a sports car. An aluminum hood, deck lid and door skins saved precious pounds, but the construction of the Pagoda roof that gives the car its nickname is a marvel in itself. It is the work of Mr. Bela Barenyi, who headed Mercedes-Benz pre-development department. While beautiful, airy, and seemingly delicate, it is as solid as the body structure and designed to withstand a load of 1000 Kg. Bela designed it that in a way so a driver could see clearly from all sides without obstruction from the pillars and avoid potential trouble…and that the construction of the hard top would provide enough rollover protection if the driver could not.
Demand was reflected in the appeal of the car–Mercedes sold 48,912 of the W113 worldwide. 23,885 of those were the 280 SL’s, and of those, half came to the USA. The bucket seats are supportive, and the low shoulders invite one to rest an arm, while cruising. And like any Mercedes-Benz from the era, its build quality is impeccable.

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