Mercedes-Benz 230SL 'Pagoda' Manual

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The divinely gorgeous 'all new' 1963 SL was a lot more than just a pretty face. It had inherited the front and rear crumple zones that had been introduced in the new S Class saloons a year or so previously - cutting edge safety innovations at the time. 

As luck would have it, part of the new focus on safety had included the design of the removable roof. The brief was to make it as light as possible in order to maximise the car's stability. The concave top panel that emerged added enormous strength, and thanks to design input from Mercedes' chief stylist Paul Bracq, gave the car a very distinctive look. The overall shape was reminiscent of a Far Eastern temple which soon earned the car the nickname ‘Pagoda’.

An immediate success, 49,000 'Pagodas' found happy customers before it was replaced in 1971 with the equally excellent and long-lived W107 series. Shortly after launch, Stirling Moss was moved to write to Alfred Neubaur, Mercedes’ racing director, saying: “I cannot remember ever driving a car that I would have liked to own more”. You can’t say fairer than that.

This lovely two-owner 230SL was specified with the four-speed manual gearbox and was supplied new through Croft and Blackburn of Ripon in 1966. Its second owner part exchanged his 1969 Fiat 124 Coupe for the car in 1972 with just 15,000 miles on the clock and he has kept it ever since. Used for high-days and holidays only, the mileage has accumulated to just 42,000 miles today.

By 1991 it was starting to show its age and was entrusted to Auto Services Colne for a stem-to-stern restoration. Bills on file show that a whole host of body parts were replaced, including floors and chassis legs, the bodywork specialist “replacing all corroded panels both internally and externally”. Thoroughly undersealed and given a fresh coat of two-pack acrylic green paint when completed, some of the trim and the carpets were also replaced.

Said to remain in superb condition, it is offered for sale from a deceased estate having seen little use over the last few years. A local Mercedes specialist has just put it through an MOT which expires in March 2015, commenting that it remains in remarkable condition. On the market for the first time in 42 years, this lovely, low mileage, two-owner SL ticks all the right boxes and comes in a really striking colour combination.