Lot 126: Mercedes-Benz 280SL

While the 190SL had mimicked the styling of the, much more powerful, 300SL but only disappointed when it came to driving the car, the all new 113 SL of 1963 delivered on all fronts. The dished roof of the hardtop was responsible for the Pagoda title but the 113 offered more than great styling. The hidden hood idea was not new, the Americans had done it many times, It was the way it was achieved in the SL.Under the bonnet was a fuel injected 2.3 litre, 150bhp, straight six, which could deliver 120mph and a cruising speed of 100mph. The car had servo assisted brakes with discs up front and good road manners. In 1967-68 the engine was replaced with the new 7 bearing 2.5 litre unit but the final incarnation of the "Pagoda" had the 2.8 litre, 170bhp engine, disc brakes all round and slightly softer suspension. With less than 50,000 examples sold in 8 years, the Pagoda remains quite rare but the model was very successful for MercedesThis example is said to have been imported from California and is in the condition one would expect of a car from the "Sunshine State". A very late example, the car has the 2.8 litre engine, three speed auto transmission and has the optional Air Conditioning and factory fitted head rests.