Vehicle Description
West Coast Classics are proud to present an extremely rare barn
find (garage really!) of this all stock and mostly all original
1966 Mercedes 230SL 'Pagoda' roadster in its original 'Papyrus
White' (Color code 717G) color paint with a 'Burgundy' leather
interior with very desirable original factory options of an
automatic transmission with floor shifter, power steering, original
'Becker Europa AM/FM' radio, factory clock, a new German 'Black'
canvas soft top and original factory 'Papyrus White' hard top!
Recently purchased from its most recent southern California owners,
the car runs very well with no known issues and is an absolute
pleasure to drive. There are no signs of any accident damage and no
rust. This particular example presents a wonderful opportunity for
the Mercedes enthusiast to either collect and enjoy today as a
superb example of a very original and stock Pagoda.The original
factory 'Papyrus White' (Code 717-G) color paint has been
beautifully and professionally repainted in the same color at some
point in the recent past and the car still sports its matching
hubcaps, the chrome work is all excellent and the original interior
is in exceptional shape for its age with all the gauges and
switches and levers all in very good shape, the original dashboard
and wood is all very good and the car boasts beautiful
reupholstered leather seats. The car also boasts its original
'Becker Europa' radio and clock and a brand new 'Black' German
canvas factory soft top.By 1963 the 190SL (Super Light) and the
300SL Roadster were neither Super or Light and the 190SL was simply
too heavy to compete with the likes of even the British MG or
Triumph and completely underpowered compared to the Austin-Healeys
or Jaguars. Mercedes had two choices, either return to the premise
of the original 300SL and build another pure sports car or create a
new grand touring sports car that would continue the reputation of
the SL's as touring cars rather than super racing cars. Mercedes
chose the latter with a compromise between the 190 and 300 with the
introduction of the W113 platform 230SL which was a two-seat
roadster/coupe, introduced at the 1963 Geneva Motor Show and the
series was continued through 1971.Like the Gullwing before it, the
230SL had a distinguishing feature which was its removable hardtop
with a distinctive dip in its center to offer tall windows to
create a better balanced side view and more headroom for passengers
getting in and out while still maintaining a low sporty roofline
from the front and rear and which earned the car the nickname
'Pagoda' roof. It also proved an efficient way to remove rainwater
and channel it away from the car. Top speed was about 115mph which
was better than the 190SL but obviously not in the same class as
the 300SL.All models were equipped with an inline-six cylinder
engine with multi-port fuel injection. The hood, trunk lid, door
skins and tonneau cover were all made of aluminum to reduce weight.
The comparatively short and wide chassis, combined with an
excellent suspension, powerful brakes and radial tires gave the
W113 superb handling for its time. The styling of the front, with
its characteristic upright Bosch 'fishbowl' headlights and simple
chrome grille, dominated by the large three-pointed star in the
nose panel, paid tribute to the then already legendary 300 SL
roadster.The 280 SL was introduced in December 1967 and continued
in production through 23 February 1971, when the W113 was replaced
by its successor, the entirely new and substantially heavier R107
350 SL. Over the years, the W113 evolved from a sports car into a
comfortable grand tourer and US models were by then usually
equipped with the 4-speed automatic transmission and air
conditioning. In Europe, manual transmissions without air
conditioning were still the predominant choice. This car must be
truly be seen and driven to be fully appreciated - the engine is
extremely strong and responsive with excellent oil pressure and
which sounds absolutely magnificent, the automatic transmission
shifts smoothly through the gears and the engine temperature always
remains cool.This is a very fine example of this highly collectible
1966 Mercedes 230SL roadster in turn-key ready shape for daily
appreciating and daily head-turning driving today!