Highlights

Painstakingly restored to an exemplary standard, with just 114 miles covered since
Matching numbers and colours
UK market RHD example with just three former registered keepers
Every component and fastening has been either repainted, powder-coated, rechromed or passivated as necessary
Well-documented history, with a wealth of invoices, letters and original Mercedes material

The Appeal

Frequently put forward as the number one nomination for the most beautiful car ever made, the Paul Bracq-penned W113 SL ‘Pagoda’ became an instant icon of the ‘swinging’ 1960s. And it had so much more to give than just good looks, as one of the best-engineered and most well-built convertibles of all time. Unburstable engines, and doors that shut like those of a bank vault garnered the SL an excellent reputation, giving rise to future iterations like the R107, R129 and so on…

Car & Classic is excited to present this superb restored example from 1967. This Mercedes has so much going for it, firstly for its enviable rebuild-fresh condition, but also for its immense rarity as one of only an estimated 1,200 right-hand drive 250 SLs ever made over its one-year-only production run. Furthermore, the SL comes with a rich and detailed history file, with details spanning back many decades. It makes for fascinating reading and provides a near-complete picture of the car’s entire life.

There are a couple of very small jobs required to add the finishing touches to this behemoth of a restoration; small items like door seals, sun visors badges and horns - most of which accompany the car and have already undergone restoration. The vendor has invested considerable time and expenditure over the years, but due to their personal circumstances, they have opted to pass the car on to a new keeper to complete those last few jobs and return this superlative car to the road.

As you’ll note from the photographs, the SL presents impeccably throughout, and the vendor recounts how they’ve ensured every metal component and fastening has been either repainted, powder-coated, rechromed or passivated as necessary. It’s this fastidious attention to detail that makes cars like this particular W113 stand head and shoulders above the rest. You really couldn’t wish for a better example of the marque.

Offered in running, driving order, and tantalisingly close to completion, this SL represents a wonderful opportunity. Once finished, it would be a wonderful candidate for winning shows, or could simply become the very best example around, to use and enjoy as Mercedes-Benz originally intended.

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The History and Paperwork

One-year-only 250 SL produced from December 1966 - January 1968
UK market RHD example, one of just 1,200 250 SLs known to have been built in RHD
Matching numbers and colours
Restored for the first time in 1982, and again during recent years by the vendor
1st restoration cost around £10,000 in 1982 - the equivalent of £30,000 today
Details of the original restoration are included in a detailed letter (see gallery below)
The vendor acquired the car in 2011, becoming its fourth registered keeper
The car had sat for 4-5 years and therefore needed repainting, although the original restoration had held up well elsewhere
Since completion of the most recent restoration, the car has been garaged and unused for the last two years; recently re-started and driven for the first time since then
13,247 miles indicated and supported by the MOT/service history
114 miles covered since the car was put back on the road

The first keeper owned the SL for circa 10 years; it was sold for the first time to a lady in 1978, and then again in 1982. It was this keeper who submitted the car to a specialist for inspection, and following this, a full restoration was carried out in 1982. The owner would enjoy the Mercedes for a number of years, although later parked it up for a 4-5 year period, resulting in some slight deterioration.

The vendor acquired the car in 2011, becoming its fourth registered keeper. They identified the SL to be in very good shape, despite needing some work. So, they then embarked upon a second restoration, bringing the car up to the elevated standard it is in today. Having put the car back on the road and covered around 70 miles, the vendor then put the car in their heated garage where it has remained for the past two years due to personal circumstances. Some fresh petrol and a new set of spark plugs have brought that rebuilt straight-six back to life, and the SL is now in running, driving order, ready for a new keeper to add the very last finishing touches to the restoration.

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The Condition

Comprehensively restored inside, out and underneath
Every bit of metal has either been painted, powder coated or passivated
Bodywork refinished by Concours Repaints, full strip and repaint costing around £32,000
Factory-correct 396 Metallic Blue
Doors shut well and align nicely
All panel gaps, swage lines and factory notches appear in superb order
New interior
New carpet costing £1,100
New sound deadening and underlay
Retro-look modern stereo
Hood not changed; the existing item is in serviceable condition
Offered without hard top
All chromework refinished
New windscreen
Hubcaps re-chromed while the centres remain unpainted at present
Still requires horns, sun visors, aerial, bulkhead insulation and various rubbers fitting besides a few other very small jobs

As the photographs attest, this Pagoda presents impeccably throughout. It has been very well stored and hardly driven whatsoever since the completion of the restoration. As we mentioned above, there are a few trims and small items yet to fit, but by no means a great deal of work. The vendor pints out how the current lack of door rubbers illustrates the incredibly level of finish - even to the bits of the car you would never see under usual circumstances. Even the finest details like the bonnet stay and hinges have been powdercoated, and every piece of brightwork, (of which there is a great deal on a W113), has been refinished to a mirror gloss.

The bodywork is arrow-straight, gleams under natural light and the doors, bonnet and boot lid fit with the precision we’ve come to expect from Mercedes-Benz. On the inside, practically everything you see is new and of the highest quality. There’s no discernable wear to report and all is very clean throughout.

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The Mechanics

Rare and underrated 2.5-litre M129 straight-six petrol
Four-speed automatic gearbox
Bespoke stainless steel sports exhaust
Engine stripped, checked and rebuilt
Gearbox dismantled, check seals renewed while it was out by a specialist
Steering box rebuilt
Axle and differential rebuilt by a specialist
New shock absorbers
New wheel bearings
Complete new braking system: brake lines all replaced and and callipers overhauled
Mechanical fuel pump rebuilt by diesel specialist
New fuel lines
All original fastenings have been retained and replated where usable; even the bolts for the wishbones have been passivated in gold
The car was submitted to the SL Shop for a final check over following all the work; SL Shop carried out a couple of small jobs to finish and filed a detailed report
Running and driving well, although the vendor recommends a tune-up

Those who know their W113’s will be aware of the 250 SL’s rarity and the fact that this is the purest form of that particular engine design. Subsequent 280 SL models featured a bored-out version of this engine and the model was launched with fewer chrome accents and generally a lighter specification. Whereas, the short-lived 250 SL retained the glamour and splendour of the original 230 SL models, while featuring an all-new engine, designed specifically to be this size. That doesn’t make a 280 SL any less special, but collectors will no doubt appreciate that these 250s represent the sweet spot in the W113 lineage.

Having undergone a comprehensive mechanical rebuild, in spite of the fact that the car probably didn’t need it, this SL is said to run and drive very well indeed. Since it had sat for a couple of years unused, the vendor added fresh fuel and fresh spark plugs in order to fire it back up, which the car duly did wih little effort, soon settling down to a smooth idle. The vendor recommends a tune-up as a precautionary measure, but there are no known mechanical issues to report.

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BEFORE YOU BUY

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