Vehicle Description
Listing: This 1968 280 SL Mercedes Benz, has 51,452 miles and is a
manual transmission with a 6 cylinder engine and rear wheel drive.
The Mercedes-Benz SL-Class is a grand touring car manufactured by
Mercedes since 1954. The designation SL derives from the German
Sportlich-Leicht, (English: Sport Lightweight). The original idea
was suggested by American importer Max Hoffman, who perceived a
market for a toned-down Gran Prix car tailored to affluent
performance enthusiasts in the booming post-war American market,
which remains the primary market for the vehicles. W113 (1963-1971)
All models were equipped with an inline-six cylinder engine with
multi-port fuel injection. The bonnet, trunk lid, door skins and
tonneau cover were made of aluminum to reduce weight. The
comparatively short and wide chassis, combined with an excellent
suspension, powerful brakes and radial tires gave the W 113 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 homage to the 300 SL roadster. 280 SL (1967-1971)
The 280 SL was introduced in December 1967 and continued in
production through 23 February 1971, when the W 113 was replaced by
its successor, the entirely new and substantially heavier R107 350
SL. Over the years, the W 113 evolved from a sports car into a
comfortable grand touring vehicle, and US models were by then
usually equipped with the 4-speed automatic transmission and air
conditioning. Manual transmission models 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. Of the 23,885 280 SLs produced, more than
half were sold in the US.
