Vehicle Description
1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SL Roadster
Chassis no. 113044.12.019165 - Engine no. 130983.12.012717
2,778cc SOHC Inline 6-Cylinder Engine
Bosch Mechanical Fuel Injection
170bhp at 5,700rpm
4-Speed Automatic Transmission
4-Wheel Independent Suspension
4-Wheel Disc Brakes
*Exquisitely restored example
*Matching numbers
*Long-time single ownership
*US-delivered 280SL from the end of the run
*Accompanied by comprehensive history file and original books.
Completed at the Stuttgart Mercedes-Benz factory in the late summer of 1970, this excellent 280SL was finished in white with matching hardtop and dark blue soft top, was trimmed in blue MB Tex upholstery, and configured, as so many were, as a US-market example.
According to the car's original service booklet, the new 280SL was delivered on September 27, 1970, to its first owner, David R. Wilkerson of Santa Ana, California. A first service is recorded as having been performed in February of 1971 at Jim Slemons Imports, also in Santa Ana, California, with a follow up shortly thereafter. By 1975, the 280SL had moved to Texas, where it was owned by Fort Worth resident R.E. Fiesler. Further notes in the service book indicate the car being serviced during this time in the Fort Worth area.
The Mercedes-Benz is believed to have stayed in the Fiesler family until just few years ago, when it was acquired by a renowned Dallas-based collector. The wonderfully straight and original, long-term ownership 280SL presented the perfect candidate for a restoration, and soon the work was begun to bring the Mercedes-Benz back to its former glory. Carried out at the workshops of a Tennessee-based restorer, the Pagoda was treated to a comprehensive restoration, which included a repaint in the factory-correct white, and re-trim in blue. Close inspection reveals just how professionally and correctly the work was performed.
This fine 280SL is accompanied by a comprehensive history file that includes copies of the factory build records, tools, a full set of owner's manuals and factory pamphlets, the car's original warranty book and service booklet, original build plate, as well as an abundance of receipts from service and maintenance work performed while in Fiesler's ownership. Today, ready for Concours judging or enjoyable use as a practical collector's car, this exceptional 280SL is bound to impress.
