SL (W113 'Pagoda')

Origins Launched at the March 1963 Geneva Motor Show, the W113 replaced two very different cars at once: the exotic 300 SL and the modest four-cylinder 190 SL. It rode on a shortened version of the W111 'Fintail' saloon platform and borrowed technology from the W112, hence the W113 code. It was the first mass-produced SL with a six-cylinder engine, and no SL would use a four-cylinder again until the SLK of the mid-1990s.

Design and the 'Pagoda' name Styling is most often credited to Paul Bracq, working within a Mercedes team that also involved Friedrich Geiger and safety engineer Bela Barenyi. The car's signature is its optional removable hardtop, whose roofline dips in the centre and rises at the edges. Journalists and enthusiasts, not the factory, coined the 'Pagoda' nickname from this concave shape; the form was functional as well as pretty, stiffening the top, aiding rollover strength, and allowing taller side glass and easier entry.

230 to 250 to 280 The 230 SL used a 2.3-litre injected six with front discs and rear drums. The 1967-only 250 SL grew to 2.5 litres with a seven-main-bearing crank and, importantly, added rear disc brakes for all-round discs. The 280 SL (from late 1967) enlarged the engine to 2.8 litres and more torque, becoming the definitive and most-produced version. A four-speed manual was standard, a four-speed automatic was popular (dominant in the US), and a rare ZF five-speed manual was offered to a small number of buyers.

Motorsport and legacy Despite its GT character, a 230 SL driven by Eugen Bohringer took a strong result on the demanding 1963 Spa-Sofia-Liege rally, showing the car's toughness. Production ended in 1971 after 48,912 cars, giving way to the larger R107.

Rust is the primary enemy, hiding in unibody cavities, floors, sills and arches. The Bosch mechanical fuel-injection pump wears and needs specialist rebuilding. Head gasket failure is noted, particularly on cars left standing. Driveshaft U-joints and wheel bearings can fail with age. US emissions-spec 280 SL engines make less power than European versions. Poor past restorations and non-original replacement panels can hide problems.

Prioritise a rust-free, honest body: check unibody box sections, floors, sills, trunk/spare-well and wheel arches, as proper metalwork is very expensive. Confirm matching numbers and a documented history. Ensure the Bosch mechanical injection pump runs correctly (cold and hot starting, smooth idle) as rebuilds are costly and specialist. Both hardtop and soft top present and fitting well add value. Manual gearbox cars, and especially the rare ZF five-speed, are more desirable than automatics. Inspect for prior accident repair and confirm brake type matches the model (all-round discs on 250/280).

As of mid-2026, the Pagoda is a firmly established blue-chip classic. Classic.com's market benchmark for the 280 SL sat around $96,800 with a much higher trailing average sale price (skewed upward by exceptional cars), and roughly 40+ examples listed at any time, spanning about $35,000 for projects to $250,000 for the very best. Hagerty condition #2 (excellent) guide values in this period ran near $88,900 (230 SL), $95,200 (250 SL) and $150,000 (280 SL), showing a persistent 280 SL premium. In the UK, show-standard cars were quoted around GBP 100,000-130,000+, average cars GBP 40,000-70,000, and projects from GBP 15,000. Matching-numbers, well-documented, manual and ZF five-speed cars command the strongest money.