Description
A masterpiece of styling by Paul Bracq, the Mercedes-Benz W113 SL with pagoda roof was built to exceptional standards, from the cast aluminium door shells to the individually numbered bonnet, boot lid and alloy door skins. Far ahead of its time in the combination of sporting performance and travelling comfort it offered, it looked delicate but was a masterful endurance rally car - as proved by its victory in the gruelling Spa-Sofia-Liège event in 1964.
All three engines have almost identical top speeds, although the 250 and 280 have significantly more torque than the 230SL. The 280 also has softer seats and suspension and 90% of them were sold with an excellent four-speed automatic gearbox, while 75% of the 230s were manual. The W113 was always glamorous and expensive (twice as expensive as a 4. 2 E-type), with Charlton Heston and John Lennon among the star owners of the day. This example was fully restored between 2016 and 2021. The original manual gearbox has been replaced by a Getrag 6-speed manual gearbox (from the SL Shop), giving incredible driving comfort. It is also fitted with a mohair soft top and a hardtop.
