Vehicle Description
West Coast Classics are proud to present an extremely rare example
of this all original California 'Black License Plates' 1968
Mercedes 280SL 'Pagoda' roadster with very desirable original
factory options of the 4 speed manual transmission, power steering,
power brakes, chrome roof bars, canvas soft top and original
factory hard top with all original owners manuals from the original
selling dealership of 'Robert Schmitz' of San Francisco, CA and
still boasting its all original 'Dark Olive Green' (code 291)
factory color paint and an all original interior with the original
hood, original spot welds both on the front fenders and trunk and
with obviously therefore no history of any accidents or damage and
no rust whatsoever and with believed to be an original 41K
miles!This particular example simply must be seen and driven to be
fully appreciated - it is a beautiful all original car with its
original engine and correct original factory 'Dark Olive Green'
(Code 291) color paint which is now obviously beginning to show
thin in some areas, especially around the trunk fenders, with it's
correct factory and original optional hardtop and matching hubcaps
and most importantly a car that has never been hit with all it's
original body panels, with original factory spot welds and headlamp
notches and it's original factory hood and trunk lid and absolutely
no rust ever!The car had a new timing chain and a complete valve
job at around 30K miles and it had a recent full service with all
new drive belts and oil service, new front amp; rear brakes and
shifter bushings, tie rod assemblys and front and rear shocks. The
car therefore drives incredibly well, a super tight driver with the
transmission shifting ever so smoothly through all the gears and
with the engine extremely powerful yet quiet and smooth.The chrome
work is all excellent and the interior is quite stunning with the
dashboard perfect and with only the front drivers seat bolster
showing any real signs of wear or patina (see photos below)! The
correct German canvas black soft top is still in virtually new
condition and the correct factory matching 'Dark Olive Green' hard
top is also in great shape. The car has a completely rust free
history with its original floors and inner and outer sills and
original matching number hood.The car is well equipped with factory
clock, power steering, power brakes and two tops. The rebuilt
engine cranks easily and drives beautifully. It runs cool, has
great oil pressure and does not smoke or leak oil. The transmission
shifts smoothly through all the gears and the brakes and suspension
are superb. The exhaust system sounds great and the car handles
beautifully. All the electrics, the lights and the gauges work
properly. The trunk has its original spare wheel with correct cover
and jack but please note no factory tools.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 not in the same class as
the 300SL.All models were equipped with an inline-six cylinder
engine with multi-port fuel injection, power disc brakes on all
four corners, adjustable bucket seats, radial tires and an electric
clock! 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. Manual transmission models were
much rarer and came with the standard 4-speed or the optional ZF
5-speed, which was ordered only 882 times and thus is a highly
sought-after original option today. In Europe, manual transmissions
without air conditioning were still the predominant choice.The main
change for the 280SL model in 1967 was an upgrade from the 2,496 cc
250SL engine, which itself had been upgraded from the 2,306cc
230SL, to the 2,778 cc (2.8 L) M130 engine with 180HP which finally
gave the W 113 adequate power. The wide track and low body of the
280SL offered exceptional handling noted at the time by numerous
car magazines and publications.In 1968 some 6,930 models were built
with 3,290 of these being exported to the U.S. In 1969 8,047 models
were built with 4,102 exported to the U.S. and in 1970 some 7,935
were built with 4,992 being exported to the U.S. By 1971, the very
last year of production, only 830 cars were built with ony 520
being exported to the U.S.This particular car must be one of the
finest and extremely rarest examples of a seemingly all original
Pagoda available anywhere and a highly collectible example with
it's original California 'Black License Plate' and boasting the
highly desirable 4 speed manual transmission and an all original
interior and paint in rare turn-key ready daily appreciating, daily
driving and daily head-turning condition!