Mercedes-Benz Pagoda

Fast Facts

• Best model: 280SL
• Worst model: Manual cars
• Budget buy: 230SL
• OK for unleaded?: Yes
• Will it fit in the garage? (mm): 4288x1778mm
• Spares situation: Very good
• DIY ease?: Normal maintenance, yes – restoration is somewhat trickier
• Club support: Excellent
• Appreciating asset?: More than you might think and values have a good bit to go still
• Good buy or good-bye?: Hugely desirable, but now hugely costly too

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Elegant and classy convertible that’s surprisingly pragmatic and practical. Expensive to buy and restore plus there’s many bodged cars around but the rewards amply compensate

Ever since the first edition arrived in 1954, the SL has represented the very best in two-seater motoring from Mercedes. While the original car, the 300SL, was designed first and foremost as a racer, its successor was created from the outset to be a more usable grand tourer built in much larger numbers. That second take on the SL arrived in 1963 and while it was known internally as the W113, it’s better known to enthusiasts as the Pagoda.

Elegant, beautifully built and powered by a succession of smooth straight-six engines, the Pagoda has become one of the most sought after classics, which is reflected by values that have gone stratospheric. While there are still some relatively affordable Pagodas out there, anything really superb will be over six figures now – and in some cases, well into six figures. However, there’s no sign of demand or values diminishing, so if you’ve always wanted one of these elegant roadsters, now is as good a time as any to buy.

History

1954 The first SL is the mighty 300SL, an ultra-exclusive sports car built initially in gullwing coupé form. Fast and extremely costly, the roadster that superseded the closed car in 1957 was just as exclusive and is now just as highly prized.

1955 After the 300SL came the 190SL; it looked much the same but was offered as a roadster only and packed nothing more exciting than an 1897cc fourcylinder engine. It was from this point that the SL became a more mainstream model; still relatively costly and beautifully built, but far more attainable than the 300SL had ever been.

1963 While the 190SL is now hugely sought after, it’s the sharper-suited Pagoda that followed in 1963 which is the SL that most enthusiasts aspire to. At first there was a 230SL only, fitted with a 2306cc straight-six: 19,831 were made in a production run that lasted until 1968 for the US market 1967 The 250SL is introduced to supersede the 230SL. Only ever intended as an interim model, which is why it was in production for just a year, the 250SL is the rarest of all the Pagodas.

Just 5196 were made, all but 19 of them in 1967. Each was fitted with disc brakes all round and a 2496cc straight-six. 1967(2) The final incarnation of the breed is launched. The 280SL is the most common, most sought after and also the most valuable of all the Pagodas.

With softer suspension, better seats and a stronger, smoother engine now featuring seven main bearings, 23,885 examples of the 280SL rolled off the production lines. For ’68 and US only, are certain emission mods.

Driving and press comments

With a lofty price tag of £3865 including purchase tax, the 230SL was out of reach for all but the wealthiest when it arrived in the UK. As such, buyers had the right to expect something pretty special, and when Motor tested the car it was pretty impressed overall – although the tester had some reservations.

Things started out pretty well enough: “No one could have anything but the highest praise for the magnificent seats, driving position and visibility, the impeccable finish, one of the best power steering systems there is and road holding that must be as safe as any other production car in the world”, hailed the weekly. However, things then took a turn for the worse: “Saloon car drivers might be surprised at or even disturbed by the noisy wail of the engine when accelerating hard and the very poor low-speed torque; enthusiasts accepted both these things but were dismayed to find not only automatic transmission (an option) on our test car but also widely spaced ratios that seemed totally unmatched to the power curve.

“Since the automatic aroused such mixed feelings we ried another car with a manual four-speed box and unassisted steering and came to the conclusion that power steering is a must and a manual box preferable if you drive with pleasure”.

The conclusion came: “It is a combination of virtues that make the 230SL so notable: scarcity, speed, handling, comfort, finish and prestige in one beautiful package. From our own experience its dual personality does not evoke the unievrsal appeal one might expect: it seems to inspire either detached admiration or fanatical love. It is that sort of car”.

Later editions would address the lack of low-down torque while cars with an automatic transmission would be the most sought after – thanks to Pagoda buyers not being interested in driving on the door handles. Instead, they wanted a car that would cruise with the minimum of effort, and a 250SL or 280SL with a slushbox provided exactly that. As Jeremy Clarkson remarked in an old Top Gear programme, it’s not what the Pagoda does that impresses but how it does it. There’s plenty faster, sportier alternatives, but few will give you same feel good factor.

Values and marketplace

Pagoda values started to climb sharply more than two years ago; it was before this that the £100,000 barrier was breached. Now you’ll need at least half this figure to secure a Pagoda that isn’t a liability – and for this money it won’t win any prizes.

The SL Shop’s Sam Bailey comments: “The most affordable Pagoda is a 230SL with a manual gearbox. Good examples start at £50,000 with an equivalent 250SL fetching a similar figure. You’ll pay another £20,000 to buy a worthwhile 280SL though, and even then it won’t be anything special. Perfect examples of any of these cars are now fetching at least £100,000 – in the case of the 280SL you can pay up to £150,000 for something that’s gone through a no-expense-spared restoration”.

It’s clear that some Pagoda enthusiasts are expecting the cars to increase in value even further, as some are now spending around £200,000 on a total rebuild.

Says Bailey: “If a customer wants the very best of everything, this is now the budget they need to set for truly superb paintwork, chrome, interior trim and a complete mechanical overhaul”.

Bailey continues: “There are enough wealthy collectors and enthusiasts out there who accept that properly restoring a Pagoda costs a lot of money, and they’re prepared to pay those high costs. While parts availability from Mercedes and independent specialists is very good, some bits have to be remade or refurbished on a bespoke basis and getting this done properly will never be cheap”.

A point that Bailey makes is that the market is being driven by two types of customer; the enthusiast who wants to use their car and the investor or collector who just wants to own a mint example of the Pagoda. You’ll be doing well to secure a project for less than £25,000. Spend £100,000 on its restoration and you’ll have a really nice car – but not one of the best. As a result you might get your money back, but you probably won’t unless prices really take off – and stay there!

Spend £150,000 on a top restoration instead and you’ll not only have a nicer car, but you’ll stand a greater chance of seeing a good return in years to come.

Whether or not you’ll get all it back in the long term remains to be seen, but with prices having gone particularly crazy over the last few years, they’re bound to level off at some point.

As with any top classic car, interior and exterior colour schemes can affect a Pagoda’s value significantly. Silver with red leather will always be highly popular along with white, but cars with a dark paint scheme and dark interior trim aren’t seen as especially desirable.

SLs with a manual gearbox are also less sought after; such a transmission can knock 10 per cent off a Pagoda’s value.

Bailey concludes: “The 280SL is the model that everybody aims for, but it isn’t necessarily the one you should buy, not least of all because you pay a significant premium for one of these over its predecessors. Many collectors will only buy a 280SL and if you’re aiming to do a significant mileage it’s nice to have the extra power. But the earlier cars with the smaller engines are still superb tourers, especially in 250SL form”.

Improvements

Mercedes did a great job of developing the Pagoda, which is why most modifications are frowned upon. There are very few changes that will be accepted by the majority of buyers, so before buying a modified car or making changes to your own, make sure anything is reversible or you could regret it.

Any changes to the suspension, brakes or engine are unnecessary and any Pagoda on non-standard wheels or tyres is bad news as the car’s dynamics will be adversely affected. However, there are a few modifications that are worth considering. One is the fitment of a wind deflector to reduce buffeting, although modern stereo and security improvements can be worthwhile, if done discreetly.

More significant though is the fitment of a modern six-speed manual gearbox in place of the original transmission, whether that’s a four-speed auto or a four/five-speed manual. The kit of parts to convert from an auto costs £11,500; upgrading the original manual box costs £8750.

These costs are for the parts only; on top of these prices you’ll also have to pay to have the kit fitted. Taller axle ratios from other Merc models is another option. Speak to an SL expert before committing.

Two that got away

While Paul Bracq’s Pagoda design is now seen as a landmark in car design, at the time it wasn’t universally liked. Pininfarina proposed this fixed-roof redesign in 1963, the lines created by Tom Tjaarda. However Mercedes-Benz decided to stick with its own design.

Later on, Mercedes toyed with the idea of a Pagoda fittted with the 6.3-litre V8 more usually seen in the 600 limousine. It’s most likely the car would have proved too much of a handful to go on general sale, although Mercedes would fit this powerplant to its first truly hot saloon, the 300 SEL 6.3, in 1968.

Three Of A Kind

Alfa Romeo Spider

Much more of a driver’s car than the Pagoda, the Spider features a glorious twin-cam engine, delicious steering and a gorgeous interior to boot. There were four series of the original Spider and it’s the earliest models that are the most sought after as well as the prettiest although an astonishing 30 year life span means there’s a model to suit every budget. Be wary of poor restos though on all; they’re common.

Jaguar E-Type

One of the most desirable cars ever created, demand for the E-type will never diminish. Six-cylinder cars are the most sought after and the best looking but the V12 is no longer the bargain it once was – and it’s arguably more usable thanks to its larger cabin better brakes and that wonderful engine. Once again though, tarted up cars are not unusual and good ones will command the most over time.

Triumph TR5/TR6

Even though a TR5 is worth around twice as much as a TR6, even the best examples are still worth a fraction of what you’ll pay for an equivalent Pagoda, so it’s a bit of a bargain. For your money you get a smooth straight-six, more than ample performance and excellent practicality, with unrivalled club and specialist support. They’re not anything like as rare or well built of course.