Without doubt one of the prettiest roadsters ever made, the Pagoda SL is also superbly well built and is one of those rare classics that you can genuinely use every day. Launched in 1963, the W113 class (as it was properly known) eventually spanned three engine sizes, all fuel-injected: the initial 150bhp 2.3-litre; the similarly powerful 2.5 in 1966 and the 170bhp 2.8-litre in 1967. Suspension was by double wishbones and coil springs at the front, with a coil-sprung swing axle at the rear. All cars had front disc brakes (and rear on the 280) with power steering from 1964 onwards, and all models were capable of over 110mph.
All looked identical with a low waistline, wide stance, fishbowl headlamps and big curved greenhouse windows topped with that distinctive dished removable hardtop – hence the 'Pagoda' name. The styling perfectly sums up the car, being elegant yet muscular and sporty yet immensely solid, a rare combination of virtues which make it a timeless beauty that is always highly sought after.
First registered in January 1967, this automatic 230SL has had just three owners from new, the last of whom owned it from 1988 until his death earlier this year. Now showing some 99,800 miles on the clock, it comes with lots of old MOTs back to 1991 to show that it has only covered 10,000 miles since then. The original owner's handbook is also present.
Most unusually it also retains its original Mercedes service book which has 15 service stamps from new up until the mid-1970s at which point it had covered 57,300 miles.There is a thick folder full of bills for work carried out to the car throughout its life, more recent ones being for a cylinder head rebuild in 1995, a new exhaust in 2003 and an engine, gearbox and injection system overhaul in 2007 by Tony Cridland of Chippenham. Recently fitted with four new tyres, the car is currently taxed and has an MOT until October 2009.
Supplied with both hard and soft tops (the latter renewed in 1981 and still in good condition today), the car is described as being in fair condition overall.
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