If you read through some of Mercedes-Benz’s own literature about the W113 “Pagoda”, you’ll see that they characterized it as “…neither an uncompromisingly tough roadster nor a gentle boulevard sports car.” I found this description to be perfect, as there is an element to this era of Mercedes roadster that seems to channel what would become key hallmarks of the brand’s identity later on: tough, durable, reliable. The W123 was not a glamorous car, but it was highly respected. In a similar way, the W113 will never be spoken of with the same reverence as the 300SL, but there’s certainly undying respect for such an enduring drop-top. Find this barn find 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SL here on Bonhams website.
This W113 will be a part of the Quail Auction later in the summer, taking place on August 15. The listing description is light, so we don’t know much about this car or how it came to be an obvious barn find, but it looks reasonably solid despite years off the road. One of the first things you notice about this car – and one of my favorite details – is the presence of the old-school Washington State license plates, and the very cool Mercedes-Benz of Seattle dealer plate frame. Those are the original touches that restored cars simply can’t touch, as they instantly transport you back to a much younger man or woman buying this car off the showroom floor.
The tags show it was last registered in 1987, and the interior supports this historic clue as the center console is littered with cassette tapes. What’s so intriguing about this photo to me is that someone was using this car well into the late 80s, still experiencing the joy of jamming a cassette into the dash and dropping the top. The interior looks reasonably well-preserved for an unrestored car, and the leather seating surfaces are still holding up well. The Pagoda is a rare manual transmission example, which undoubtedly makes this barn find even more desirable.
The 280SL is a sought-after year due to the M130 inline-six being massaged to make more power than in previous years, reaching a respectable future of 168 horsepower and 180 lb.-ft. of torque. Like it says above, these were not overly sporting cars and were certainly not considered straight-line speed champions, but they were wonderful cruisers that could gobble up highway miles in the proper Mercedes-Benz tradition. This car will likely sell for a fair price at auction, especially considering Washington State generally doesn’t churn out rusty cars.
My greasy little heart goes pitter-pat!
If I were in the market, I’d repair mechanicals and safety items, then drive the wheels off of it.
These are great cars but not particularly rare. Not a bonhams quality car. Should bring $25k on BaT.
$25k. What turnip wagon did you fall off of?
It’s nice , Barn Finds caters to us average Joe’s. These are cars we can buy, unlike Bring a Trailer, home of the high rollers!
Pretty nice shape. Good luck.
This car was the only item in that barn that was not a complete waste of space.
These cars are grossly overrated. I owned a 1964 230 SL which was in very good condition and it was a fine cruiser, but that was it. Its handling wasn’t much different than a 220D diesel I had owned years before, except for the fact the SL had better acceleration.
Hmm, as their talking payment in BP’s, wonder where the car is, if in England, shipping will be high.
I used to drive a friends ‘65 230sl with the 4 speed self-shifter; it was a real dog-these were never driver’s cars and that’s been true of all Mercedes till recently. The automatic in his ‘68 otoh, was superb.