1967 Mercedes-Benz 250 SL Pagoda

With 250 SL production not commencing until December 1966, this example hails from essentially its first model year.

Produced for just a year and a month, the 250 SL is by far the least ubiquitous of the W113 lineage with just 5,196 made and more than a third of those being for the US market. This fine example is one of the 3,435 destined for European markets. More than that, however, is it a UK specified and supplied right hand drive model which would have represented a mere fraction of that 3,435. It is also confirmed as a matching numbers car.

This 250 SL has been cherished and relished by six previous registered keepers, two of whom were husband and wife. The last 24 years of this W113’s life, however, has been passed with just two keepers. The previous owner acquired the SL in 2001 with current owner, Bob, taking the reins in November 2012. Bob’s ownership has been one of very modest but regular use with 2012’s MoT recording 59,889 miles and today’s total standing at 63,498.

Despite that modest use, Bob has attended to the car’s every need, seemingly. During his tenure a new soft top have been fitted (07/11/2013, 4000 miles ago), new carpets added, new inertia seatbelts and the seat internals have been rebuilt retaining the original, perfectly patinaed leather (05/03/2020). During this time the SL has been regularly serviced by specialists Roger Edwards and MoTd annually up until 2021 at 62,500 miles. All in all this is a genuine and lightly used example with a truly solid and straightforward provenance.
 

This 250 SL was specified in the delightful Tunis Beige livery (462) in which it presents today. It is more than reasonable to assume that this W113 has been resprayed in its original hue based on the fine condition, but if it has it was some time ago. The colour suits both this car’s period and its delightful Paul Bracq styling. It’s a simple design, devoid of any superfluous flourishes but endowed with plenty of unique and intriguing cues, nonetheless. 

The obvious ones are the so called Pagoda roof with its recessed centre section and those evocative “goldfish bowl” stacked headlights. These very obvious stylistic attributes can often divert one’s attention from what a slender and delicately hewn design this is. The cabin pillars are wafer thin and the chromed bumpers are dainty to the point of being purely decorative. The front and rear decks are shallow, too, lending the hard top equal prominence. The upright lamps allow for an imposingly large grill with dinner plate sized central star motif. 

The condition appears impressive but, of course, not without imperfection. The offside front wing exhibits some corrosion just behind the headlamp and minor bubbling is noted at the same place on the other side. There is some bubbling noted on the leading edge of the bonnet, a few minor chips are present here and there, and there is a small crease in the driver’s door commensurate with some sub-standard carpark etiquette.

The hardtop exhibits a couple of marks (one which may polish out) but the soft top, dating from 2013, appears pristine. Another W113 signature are the body coloured steel 14-inch wheels which are dressed in domed, black painted and chrome hubcaps and accompanying beauty rings. The tyres consist of a set of matching Michelin MXV articles date stamped from 2023.
 

The W113’s cabin is an object lesson in “less is more” restrained style and an unfathomable combination of luxury and utility.. The condition here is hard to fault, too. In current ownership the seats have been deconstructed, internally refurbished and rebuilt to utilise the original leather. That’s a very good thing as that leather is black in hue with perforated, central box pleats and smooth bolsters.

The carpet set is new and presents in the familiar black and grey speckled pattern with black edge binding. Behind the seats is a useful, neatly carpeted luggage shelf which further augments the generous boot. The dashboard is a delight with the fascia being body coloured steel sandwiched between black padded top and bottom rolls. A hooded binnacle houses a large pair of circular VDO gauges and a central, portrait orientated multifunction unit. The slender, original two spoke steering wheel which chromed horn push is fitted. The wood trim to the top of the dashboard matches that of the central oddment tray and is newly fitted. A delightful, original Becker Monza radio cassette player is fitted and reported to be working.

The boot is generously sized for a sports coupe and is trimmed with a ribbed, fitted rubber mat and provides a home to a spare wheel and accompanying tools. There is some minor surface corrosion to the boot floor.
 

This W113 is fitted with its original M129.II 2.496cc straight six engine. Whilst this increase of capacity over the original 230 SL didn’t increase the power, torque was up, and the unit was considered more resilient with a five main bearing design and increased oil and coolant capacities. The power output was originally rated at 148 bhp and 159 Ib-ft of torque. In this case the M129 engine is mated to a four speed automatic transmission making it an architype of SLs of the period.

The under bonnet looks highly original whilst still exhibiting a reassuring level of new looking componentry. The expected data pates are present, and it is only the original bulkhead acoustic matting that lets the side down a little. The underside looks, straight, solid and leak free. Ample amounts of black, textured underseal appears to be present.
 

There is a good level of provenance providing paperwork included with this SL. This includes the V5 Registration Document which classifies the SL as an historic vehicle. This renders the car as zero rated for vehicle excise duty and MoT exempt. Despite that, the 250 SL was annually MoTd up until 2021 and numerous earlier hardcopies of these on hand.

The bulk of the remainder of the archive consists of numerous invoices mainly from the current period of ownership. These include invoices for the interior refurbishment which amount to well over £3,000 of spend for new carpets and rebuilt seats. There are also plenty here documenting regular servicing at the hands of Roger Edwards Motors with the most recent of these dating from January 2025. The original buff registration document is included as is the very useful hard top stand.
 

Although the W113 was essentially the third iteration of Mercedes-Benz SL, it was really the start of the lineage becoming rolling shorthand for a thinking person’s sports car. There was sophistication, style and restrained coolness all rolled up in one peerlessly engineered package. It is no wonder that the

This example is an absolute corker. It boasts a sweet-spot specification being a UK model of by far the least common W113. Its provenance is as straightforward as you like and recent years are marked by the optimal light but regular use. The sublime interior has been thoughtfully refreshed whilst maintaining admirable originality. To top this all off it is a fastidiously maintained example with a delightful period livery. What are you waiting for? Bid today to avoid missing out.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £50,000 - £60,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.