Mercedes-Benz 280SL ‘Pagoda’: Classic Drive

We track down a neat-as-a-pin Mercedes-Benz 280SL “Pagoda” that has been meticulously maintained its entire life… and has a trick up its sleeve…

PHOTOS: Charles Russell

There are several specific reasons why this car is especially, um, special. We started the afternoon outside Franschhoek, one of the best-known towns in South Africa’s Western Cape province (renowned for its fine wines, food and gorgeous scenery). However, car enthusiasts will immediately remind you of the town’s serpentine mountain pass, which leads into the picturesque and quiet Overberg region.

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When the owner of this white Mercedes-Benz Pagoda (code 050 G) bought the car, he received the original 4-speed manual transmission (neatly boxed) with the purchase. Why? The previous owner had fitted the car with a 5-speed manual Getrag gearbox. It was a very welcome change, as I would find out.

Specifications

Model: 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SL “Pagoda”
Engine: 2.8-litre, inline-6-cylinder petrol
Power: 125 kW at 5 750 rpm
Torque: 240 Nm at 4 500 rpm
Transmission: 5-speed manual, RWD
Weight: 1 360 kg
0-100 kph: 9.0 sec (claimed)
Top speed: 200 kph

History of this Mercedes-Benz 280SL ‘Pagoda’

After driving this Mercedes-Benz 280SL “Pagoda” for approximately 3 years after he acquired it, the owner decided to have the car refreshed. This included a full respray, a thorough detailing of the engine – which included painting some parts – and rejuvenating areas of the interior, such as the wood trim.

The cabin’s carpet set (also redone) is perfect and the seats were retrimmed in the original material, so why wouldn’t you want to spend time behind the tiller to appreciate the panoramic view from the cabin?

When I open the car’s bonnet, the well-presented motor in the neat engine bay is a delightful sight. The simplicity of these early engines truly invites you to lean in and take a closer look. The camshaft cover with the 2 Mercedes-Benz emblems, the rubber and metal pipes, the 3 double-piped branches of the 2.8-litre inline-6 engine’s intake manifold as well as all the other mechanical systems look immaculate.

For the record, the car’s engine also has never been opened. I have a look at the odometer, which indicates only 68 534 miles (110 300 km)… The overall condition of the car is so manicured that one could be forgiven for thinking the ‘Benz rolled straight off the factory line only a handful of years ago.

“The W113 (the 2nd-gen Mercedes-Benz SL, produced from 1963-71 and nicknamed the Pagoda) has always been a beautiful car,” says the owner. “When I was a little, my father turned up at home with a Pagado one evening – it belonged to a colleague of his. Since that day I’ve had a soft spot for this car.”

From the driver’s side door pocket, the owner pulls out a number of the car’s booklets and documents. The cache of paperwork includes the owner’s manual and, importantly, the car’s original info card.

Between this card and the 2 plaques mounted in the engine bay, there is no detail missing about this car’s exact spec; the Fahrgestell Nr., also called the Chassis number (113 044 20 008385) matches.

Of course, a car is only worth as much as someone is willing to pay for it. Even though these cars date from a little before my time (mid-Sixties to early Seventies), it is easy to appreciate their appeal and understand why Pagoda SLs are worth so much more now than they were a few years ago.

Paul Bracq’s design is softly elegant; the lines are simple, but the car exudes true style from every angle.

What’s more, “its driving experience is very similar to that of a modern car, and you can use it for all kinds of trips”, the owner opines. We stop at the top of the pass for a photo opportunity before heading down the Winelands’ most evocative ribbon of asphalt. Soon thereafter, I switch seats with the owner.

Behind the thin-rimmed wheel of a 280SL ‘Pagoda’

The leather seats are comfortable, but then I’m not really aware of them. Suffice it to say they do a good job of ensconcing us. The steering wheel feels massive compared to those of modern ‘Benzes, while the upright windscreen is also a stark contrast to the acutely raked windscreens of today’s sportscars.

However, the solidity of the instruments is incomparable to contemporary cars’ plastic switchgear.

Turn the key and the engine catches quickly. Blip the throttle, and there is a notable, throaty sound that emanates from those twin exhaust pipes.

Apart from at parking speeds, the ‘wheel turns with minimal effort. I pull away and immediately find it a joyous experience to shift gears manually. The thin, chromed gear lever with its black knob requires a decisive shift action between each gate. It is a mechanical action, but a solid and reassuring one.

For a 60-year-old engine, the W113 SL’s motor picks up revs eagerly as it passes 3 000 and 4 000 rpm. There is little use in pushing it past 5 000 rpm, even though the original red line is only at 6 500 rpm, as there is more than sufficient torque from the engine to change gears before the red line.

The ride quality is good, and so is the road surface – an impeccable combination. I also don’t experience a lot of wind buffeting, partly because I couldn’t be bothered by wind intrusion while finessing a Pagoda’s tiller, but also because the car’s large and upright screen does a sterling job of minimising turbulence.

The view through the large windscreen is immense – not only because of what you are driving, but the visual effect of that bonnet bulge. The bonnet features a long bulge running along its centre, followed by the fenders running from the headlights towards the rear – it’s all so classy… and sophisticated!

Soon the landscape changes from the greener Winelands to the harvested wheat fields of the Overberg. It is on these long, high-speed open roads that I quickly realise that even when driving in 5th gear, I can simply flex my right foot, and the Pagoda picks up speed; 3-figure kph speeds are easily attainable!

I’m so impressed with this 5-speed gearbox, it suits this car perfectly. As with most enthusiasts and purists, I’m all for originality, be it the colour, specification, interior or drivetrain of a classic.

However, in this case, I understand why the owner has kept this gearbox in the car, and left the original on the shelf. Not only does it save the engine from running at higher revs – it’s more enjoyable to drive.

Summary

Before this particular drive, I had only spent time in two other examples of the Mercedes-Benz Pagoda: a Mechatronik conversion and a 280SL equipped with an automatic transmission. Those were very different cars and undoubtedly 2 diverse approaches to Pagoda ownership, but then so is this one.

I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a driver’s car, because it is, after all, a 2nd-gen SL: a car to be enjoyed with a passenger seated next to you as you twirl the ‘wheel while the sun sets just behind the horizon. However, the 5-speed manual ‘box gives the car another dimension – a measure of interactivity and driving engagement. This delectable feature is so rare on newer Benzes, and modern cars in general…

A Mercedes-Benz Pagoda is now out of reach for most us, and asking prices for R107 SLs (read our comparison between a 350SL and 450SLC) have increased steadily during the past few years, but are now stable. Needless to say, following this drive, I frantically searched the classifieds for an R129-series SL; surely you won’t lose money in the coming years if you purchase a well-maintained example now?

That, in short, is the Pagoda effect. The SL has never been, and will never be the ultimate sportscar, but it comes from a heritage of a car that is one of the most important and celebrated roadsters of all time.

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