With Summer just around the corner, hitting the open road in a classic convertible holds a lot of attraction. If your leanings are towards something European, then a car like this 1966 Mercedes-Benz 230 SL has to be well worth considering. This is a beautifully preserved and original survivor with a genuine 22,300 miles showing on its odometer. It is a car that would seem to demonstrate all of the characteristics that you would expect to find in a car that has been the recipient of careful ownership. The current owner, the car’s third since new, has decided to part with the Mercedes. That opens up the opportunity for some person to not only partake in some relaxed cruising in a true classic but to own a car that is guaranteed to attract plenty of admiring glances and comments wherever it goes. The Mercedes is located in Painesville, Ohio, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has reached $37,700, but the reserve hasn’t been met.
The late Janis Joplin’s last recorded song began with the line, “Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes-Benz?” If this was the car that she had in mind, I can understand why she wanted it. The Dark Green paint that the 230 SL wears looks stunning. It has a couple of very minor stone-chips visible, but not a lot else to really be critical of. It has an impressive shine, while the panels appear to be as straight as an arrow. There is not a spot of rust to be seen anywhere, and not only does the owner supply a great selection of photos to demonstrate this, but he also supplies two very good “walk-around” videos as well. I couldn’t really split them to decide which was the best, so you will find both videos included at the bottom of this article. The Black soft-top is in very nice condition, while a factory hardtop is also included in the sale. The external trim and the chrome looks spotless, while the glass is free from any discernible flaws. The color-coded hubcaps and the trim rings are free of any damage, while the white-wall tires provide a nice finishing touch to the vehicle’s external appearance. When you look at the overall condition of the Mercedes, it makes the owner’s claim that it has always been stored in a climate-controlled garage appear to be very plausible.
The high level of presentation continues when we move inside the 230 SL. The upholstery is finished in Trim Code 114, which is described as “Natural.” The carpet is Brown, and the Dark Green painted steel on the dash ties it all together nicely. The upholstery is in remarkable condition, with not a sign of a mark or problem anywhere. What is even more impressive is the fact that the seats don’t even show any signs of mild stretching, which is extremely unusual for a car that is now 54-years-old. The owner states that everything inside the car works as it should, including all of the gauges and lights. The AM radio also functions perfectly, as you will be able to hear for yourself if you check out the videos below.
Under the hood of the Mercedes, we find the original 2,308cc 6-cylinder engine, which sports Bosch mechanical multi-point fuel injection. This engine produces 118hp, which finds its way to the rear wheels via the fluid-coupled 4-speed automatic transmission. As you will hear in the videos below, this engine sounds beautifully clean and crisp when running. The buyer of this Mercedes is going to be in a pretty fortunate sort of position. It is one thing to buy a classic like this that has been cared for and maintained by a devoted owner. However, to discover that the owner is also a qualified and well-known Mercedes mechanic is a whole different kettle of fish. That should mean that the car’s maintenance has been undertaken to the highest possible standard. Apart from the usual consumables such as fluids, filters, and tires, the car remains completely original. Having said that, any parts that have been used to maintain the 230 SL have been genuine parts. When the vehicle recently required a new muffler, what was fitted was a NOS Mercedes component. The owner states that the Mercedes runs and drives exactly how you would expect an original survivor with 22,300 miles on the clock should. He doesn’t mention whether he holds evidence to verify the mileage claim, but there is a fairly substantial pile of documentation that is included in the sale, and I wouldn’t be surprised to find the evidence in that lot.
Mercedes-Benz has been renowned for building fairly luxurious cars that are also extremely robust. This is one of the reasons why they are a firm favorite in some African countries, along with many former Eastern Bloc nations. Mercedes-Benz offerings from the 1960s and 1970s tend to be rugged and long-lived, and when you get an older example like this one that has been meticulously maintained, that would tend to auger well for the future. This really is a beautiful car, and I’m sure that if Janis Joplin was alive today, she’d be tuning-up the vocal cords fairly quickly to punch out a tune about this old classic.
You’re on a roll with nice classics here, Adam! This sweet little (for an MB) sporty, the sharp MGB GT PU in Palm Desert and the 2000GT as the coup de grace. Great stuff, all.
gorgeous in, out, under hood.
would love to have this for sunny weekend excursions.
class all the way and sporting my favorite paint and interior finishes.
wonderful car
Looks like it lived in a climate-controlled living room. This car is drop dead gorgeous and second only to the earlier 300SL roadster & gullwing in desirability. It’s going to go way past $37K when some lucky trust fund baby finally gets it. Great color, great condition, just all around great looking car.
Maybe the new owner worked “hard for the money”, like Donna Summers said. (so you better treat her right)
The seller is correct and while it is a wonderful looking car, I find poor judgement in: (1) adding side marker lights and worse, (2) placing them incorrectly.
Why do people modify beautiful, expensive, and often rare cars and then do such a bang up job of getting it wrong? And one cannot correct these lights without altering the body and paint. Unfortunate but I’m sure the new buyer won’t care.
When the side marker lamps were fitted the owner thought it was a good idea. It wasn’t a very rare car back then so it didn’t matter where they were fitted as long as other drivers saw them. It’s only us guys that notice them as the man in the street only sees it as a lovely old classic car.
If those side marker lights were added you have to wonder why. They break up what are beautiful lines for what?
I would hope no one let her near this Mercedes after the Porsche was painted.
https://www.americanbluesscene.com/janis-joplins-porsche-1/
Never have been an MB fan but this year-span of this model & related always turn my head. The wheels seem to make the car for me, which is often true about most cars, in my opinion. Very nice.
Near the top of my bucket list!
One of my fav ‘worked with’ Benzs. Felt like a stately TR6.
Absolutely stunning.
Love it! Wish I could afford to maintain a nice MB like this.
It’s a lovely, thoroughly underpowered thing. It’s a beauty!
Did it sell? How much?