Lot 428: 1967 Mercedes-Benz 250SL Convertible

‘Every driver who has more than a purely utilitarian interest in automobiles should drive a Mercedes-Benz 250SL at least once in his life. The car is an almost perfect yardstick against which to measure any other car. There are cars with better acceleration, cars with better brakes, cars with better roadholding. But there is no car we can think of that has such a remarkable good balance of performance, safety and comfort, and has them in such an absolutely civilised structure.’ - Car & Driver.
First produced late in 1966, the 250SL used the same, classic ‘W113’ bodyshell as the 230SL that had founded this spectacularly successful sportscar dynasty, and which it replaced. Minor improvements were made to the interior, but the major differences were the new 2.5-litre, six-cylinder, seven-bearing engine - as fitted to the 250SE - and disc brakes instead of drums at the rear. Maximum output increased by only 10 horsepower (to 160bhp) and the 250SL’s top speed of around 120mph remained the same as that of its predecessor, but the larger engine significantly improved flexibility and responsiveness while consuming only marginally more fuel. The 250SL was built for just one full production year, during which time a little over 5,000 were produced, before being superseded by the 280SL and is thus by far the rarest of the family. Christened ‘pagoda top’ after their distinctive cabin shape, these SL models were amongst the best-loved sports-tourers of their era and are highly sought after today.
This right-hand drive 250SL is a ‘rear seat’ model affording the convenience of four-speed automatic transmission, and is finished in cream with tan/brown cloth interior. Described as ‘very original and in very good condition’, the car is offered with fresh MoT, Swansea V5 registration document, original instruction manuals, and assorted expired MoTs dating back 20 years.