1969 Mercedes-Benz 280 SL Pagode

The Pagoda we are offering here is a convertible with a great sounding 6-cylinder and a solid power for that time , with the special feature of a smooth 4-speed manual transmission , after all the bulk was delivered as an automatic. The car was fitted with a longer final drive in the USA making it an ideal car for long and short trips. The 280 version was the heaviest engine you could order in the Pagoda at the time. A Mercedes like Mercedes no longer makes them (unfortunately). Mercedes' number combination “280” refers to the vehicle's motorization, in this case the 170-horsepower 2.8L six-cylinder block. Mercedes chose the abbreviation “SL” (Sport Leicht) for its sporty models. Initially applied to the 1952 300SL Gullwing that could be optionally fitted with an aluminum body, which provided a weight savings of no less than 158kg. The now almost unaffordable 300 SL models were succeeded by the 190SL. A fun and smooth four-cylinder and only available as a convertible. After the (rather slow) 190SL, the 230SL (W113) was introduced, popularly called “Pagode”. This is a reference to the shape of the roof that has similarities to the arched Chinese Pagoda roofs. The Pagoda, like the 190SL, is not meant to be an outright sports car like the original 300SL with which it shares the SL name. The Pagoda allows its owner to cover many comfortable miles effortlessly, while enjoying the benefits of the safety of a hardtop with the lifestyle cachet of a softtop. The engine is much more powerful than in the 190 and provides comfortable fast miles, even by modern standards. The Pagoda we offer here is a convertible with a great sounding 6-cylinder and solid power for the time , with the special feature of a 4-speed manual transmission , is an ideal car for long and short trips. The 280 version was the heaviest engine you could order in the Pagoda at the time. A Mercedes as Mercedes (unfortunately) no longer makes them. By the time the 280SL gave way to the next-generation SL, the R107, it had firmly established itself as one of the Stuttgart firm's finest cars’s. With timeless, graceful styling, spirited performance and handling, unëvated build quality and reliability, the SL series cars’s built from 1963 to 1971 are solid collectibles.Like the other W113 models, the 280 used a self-supporting chassis, with front wheel suspension using coil springs and wishbones, while the rear featured a swing axle with single pivot and transverse springs set to compensate for camber. The car had disc brakes all around, which was also not common for cars’s of this era.