Mercedes 230 SL, sixty years famous ‘Pagoda’

The Mercedes 230 SL (you know, for “Sport Leicht”), is not a competition car, although good fans will remember an official factory 230 winner of the prestigious Liège-Sofía-Liège event, in the 1963 and 1964 editions ., with Eugen Böhringer and Klaus Kaiser. But the factory would not continue in this line. He would win two editions of the tough (5000 km) Liège-Sofía-Liège PF. In reality, he did not have to follow the principle of “sales start after the drop of the checkered flag”: in the first two years with 14,700 units had surpassed the more optimistic forecasts of those responsible for the brand. And that the price was very high for that time. So it’s clear that for the most part, these buyers were adults already of a certain age and well-to-do, rather than young people with a passion for sports cars. The origin of its popular unofficial nickname “Pagoda” is due to the curious shape of the roof, a name that originated from the simple reflection of a participant at the presentation. Undoubtedly, the great originality of this model lies in the shape of this roof. Unlike most convertibles of the time, which had bulging “hardtops” or “hardtops”, the roof of the “pagoda” was curved in the middle. This allowed for a larger glass area and at the same time easier access to the interior. And especially that silhouette that made him famous. Standard Related News No Chinese cars: luxury dresses to deviate from the affordable price Patxi Fernández The latest innovations are 100% electric and high-tech models. With the hardtops of the time, it was common for drops to get in during heavy rain. This was not the case with the Mercedes, which had a fantastic seal. But in return, this hardtop was fiddly to install or remove. It was heavy, large and delicate to move: you had to be very careful not to scratch the boot lid. Converted, it appears with a purer line PF. After the hardtop was removed, the Mercedes SL 230 appeared before the eyes in a different way. He seemed shorter and his line clearer. With the soft top during the conversion, which also had to be handled with care, it disappeared completely from sight in a box behind the seats. The SL was thus three cars in one: coupe, convertible and roadster. Inside Behind the large steering wheel with horn from the 1960s, the driver visualized the instruments to the taste of the North American market, with two large “clocks” (speedometer and tachometer) and a vertical rectangle that grouped all the necessary information (gas level, oil pressure, water temperature). The very long gear lever stuck out between the two seats. By the way, there was a five-speed version of the 280 SL and nowadays a hard-to-find automatic of the 230 SL. An interior aesthetic with American PF accents An advancement in safety In terms of safety, the W 113 in factory designation was very innovative at the level of sports cars of the time. The frame of the 230 SL originates from the Mercedes-Benz saloons of the W 111 series. It has been shortened and strengthened compared to the four-door models. In 1959, the “Fintail” was the world’s first passenger car with a safety body, developed by Mercedes-Benz safety pioneer Béla Barényi. The “Pagoda” was the first sports car to benefit from the principle of a stable passenger cell with front and rear crumple zones. A safety-tested PF-era 230 SL The suspension was firm but almost unusually comfortable for a 1960s sports car. The 230 SL already had disc brakes on the front wheels. Disc brakes on the rear axle were added from the 250 SL introduced in 1967. Three engines Mercedes offered this SL successively with three different engines during its eight years of existence. This set it apart from the 300 SL and 190 SL models. Introduced in 1954, the engines of these first two production sports cars in the SL tradition remained largely unchanged until 1963. The six-cylinder engine of the 230 SL was based on that of the 220 SE, with displacement increasing to 2,306 cc. It had 150 hp, reached 200 km/h and went from 0 to 100 km/h in 11.1 seconds. At the end of 1966, the 250 SL replaced the 230 SL. The six-cylinder in-line engine had a displacement of 2,496 cubic centimeters. Power and maximum speed did not vary from the 230 SL. However, the increased torque made it more enjoyable to drive while acceleration improved: 1.1 seconds less from 0 to 100 km/h than the 230 SL. Throughout its life, always with six-cylinder inline engines, there were three mechanical PF variants. The 250 SL was optionally available in a version called “California”, presented in March 1967 at the Geneva Motor Show. It had no roadster soft top or storage compartment, but in its place was a small rear seat. In 1968 the 280 SL appeared with the 2,778 cc six-in-line engine. Power increased to 170 hp and accelerated from 0 to 100 km/h in nine seconds, although the top speed was still 200 km/h. Production of the W 113 ended in March 1971 after 19,831 units of the 230 SL had been built; 5,196 of the 250 SL; and a whopping 23,885 of the 280 SL. Sitting behind the wheel of a copy in perfect condition costs around 130,000 euros PF Today, the 230 SL, 250 SL and 280 SL models are highly valued classics. This is reflected in the prices of well-preserved examples: the current market research by Classic Data for 2022/2023 notes € 128,000 for the 230 SL in best condition (class 1) and € 156,000 for the 280SL. 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Source: La Verdad

Mary

I am Mary Fitzgerald, a professional journalist and author of the Today Times Live. My specialty is in writing and reporting on technology-related topics. I have spent the last seven years extensively researching and understanding the field of technology so I can properly inform my readers about developments in this ever-evolving world.