1967 Mercedes-Benz 230SL

The vendor is a chap who’s been buying and selling classic cars for decades and knows a great deal about them.

He bought this beauty from Total Headturners of Epping (well-known classic car dealers) because it was one of the best he’d ever seen.

Now then.

What do we know about this car?

We know it was made in 1967 and that, at some point, it went to the USA, possibly via Hong Kong, which could have been it’s original export destination. That would go some way to explaining how and why a RHD car ended up in America.

In 2018 it came back to the UK and was bought by a company specialising in converting classic cars into electric vehicles. Before doing anything to it they decided that this car was far too good to end up as a donor vehicle for an EV conversion project and sold it on to a company Managing Director.

This MD was clearly a man with strong passions and deep pockets. He set aside some of his factory space for the car and then commissioned restoration experts to carry out the work on-site under his watchful eye.

At some point during this process it was decided to replace the 230 engine with a 280 engine.

The result, we can attest, is a car that is properly screwed together, drives smoothly and is reassuring free of any rattles, squeaks, groans, rumbles or wheezes.

This 230/280SL starts, goes, handles, performs and stops precisely as it should and does all of it rather better than most of its contemporary SL pagoda counterparts.

It has been expertly restored, inside, outside and underneath, to the highest standards both mechanically and aesthetically.

It’s a thing of beauty and a joy to behold – and drive.

The Smoke Silver paintwork is gloriously rich and deep with a lustre and shine to it that perfectly accentuates the car’s classically simple, elegant lines.

It really is an exceptionally good looking car, with smooth, ripple-free flanks; solid sills and gutters; tight, consistent shut lines and door gaps; and panels that are remarkably free of any dinks, dents, scuffs, nicks, chips or other unwanted blemishes.

The pretty much faultless finish applies equally to the hard top, which is not always the case with these cars.

The chrome on the bumpers, hub caps, trim and badging is un-pitted, bright and shiny.

The matching whitewall tyres look to be virtually unused.

If you decide you don’t want whitewall tyres, just turn them around.

The mohair hood appears to be brand new and fits tightly.

We haven’t see any rust anywhere and the only blemishes we’ve spotted anywhere are a couple of stone chips to the paint. And you can only see those if you look sideways, use a powerful torch and squint a bit.

The good news continues on the inside, which is a beautifully authentic and sensitively restored place to spend some quality time.

The interior trim was renewed, refurbished, re-upholstered, etc, by b-trim of Enfield, who are acknowledged to be some of the very best in the business.

You’ll certainly believe that when you take a look inside.

It’s a sumptuous visual treat of buttery soft leather, correct OEM spec carpets and beautifully refurbished wood.

It’s a stunning cabin, front and back, and the kind of place that would imbue even the shortest trip with a real sense of occasion.

The carpets, door cards and roof lining (both roofs) are pristine, as is the interior of the boot.

The comfortable and supportive seats afford a surprisingly good driving position. This is a car you could take on long journeys without having to crawl out of the car on your hands and knees when you reach your destination before making a call to the nearest chiropractor.

The dashboard (with its period Becker radio), gear lever and centre console are all beautifully authentic and look as good as new. So, too, does the delightful steering wheel. As far as we can tell, all dials and gauges work as intended.

Lifting up the carpets reveals….nothing to worry about whatsoever.

The only imperfection we noticed was a circular impression made by some heavy object that’s been sitting on the carpeted shelf behind the driver’s seat.

Show it a damp chamois and it’ll soon back off, we suspect.

The undersides of this car look very solid and honest. There is no rust to speak of anywhere, save for the entirely standard superficial bloom of rust dust on some exhaust components.

There is a good coating of bitumen/wax in evidence.

It should be noted that this car has probably spent much of its life in the USA (and possibly Hong Kong), where salt is rubbed around the rim of margarita glasses, not chucked all over the roads.

The engine bay is clean and tidy. Everything in its right and proper place.

Clearly, there’s not a lot of history with this car but, as the vendor says, ‘handsome does as handsome is’.

In other words, it’s quite obviously a top quality restoration and the work - the finish, the engineering integrity, the driving experience – well, it speaks for itself.

It comes with a few bits of paper, some old MoT certificates and a set of keys.

The car doesn’t currently have an MoT certificate, but its last one, issued in 2019, had no advisories.

While it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have the car re-MoT’d at the earliest. The cost of an MoT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic car, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies.

We think this is quite possibly the very best example we’ve yet seen of the marque, the model and the restorer’s craft.

In the rarified world of SL pagodas there are some cars that are held together with hope and spit but come with more history than Hampton Court.

And there are cars with less history than David Bowie in ‘The Man Who Fell To Earth’ that are absolutely jaw-droppingly gorgeous and wonderful in every way.

This one is undeniably in the latter category.

Think carefully before coming to see this fabulous car.

We don’t think you’ll be able to resist it.

We think this car will sell for between £79,000 and £94,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.