Nearly a decade after it had stunned the world with the original 300 SL, Mercedes-Benz faced the daunting task of replacing the world’s first supercar. Instead of constructing another pure sports car, with performance as the ultimate goal, Mercedes decided to turn the SL quest in a different direction, designing and developing an entirely new car built upon a steel monocoque unibody that emphasized comfort and convenience over outright speed.
Emulating an authentic legend like the 300 SL was never really going to be possible in any case, so the car internally designated as the W113, that first appeared as the 230 SL, had to establish a persona of its own. This was helped by its distinctive design that relied on softened crisp edges and topped itself with a mildly concaved roof that earned it the nickname of the “Pagoda” SL.
Based on the company’s 220 S sedan, the 230 SL initially hit the road in 1963 and would be continuously developed as a luxurious grand touring machine over the course of the following eight years. As part of that development, and in response to tightening emissions regulations in the USA, its original 150-hp, 2,306-cc four-main-bearing, inline six with Bosch mechanical fuel injection was first replaced by a 2,496-cc version with seven main bearings and 10 more horsepower before subsequently being superseded by a similar 2,778-cc unit providing 20 additional horses. Those two cars became the 250 SL (1966) and the 280 SL (1967) respectively.
Beneath the new styling could be found essentially the same suspension system as on the 300 SLs, with unequal-length double wishbones, coil springs and tubular shock absorbers in the front, and a three-spring, single-pivot swing axle arrangement in the rear. For the European market a 4-speed manual transmission came standard, while the American specification called for a 4-speed automatic. Vacuum-assisted four-wheel disc brakes became standard with the 250 SL upgrade.
Because the W113 was always intended to be a GT instead of a racecar, ever more luxury found its way into the interior. Beyond the extra headroom and improved visibility of the Pagoda roof, a leather-covered dashboard, adjustable wraparound seats, individual vent controls and a better heater aided the cause of comfort. The instrument panel featured a large speedometer and tachometer with the secondary gauges clustered vertically between them.
During its nine-year production run a total of 48,912 cars were built on the W113 platform, with that number broken down further into 23,885 280 SLs, 19,831 230 SLs and 5,196 250 SLs.
On the Road
Approaching our burgundy example of a 1970 280 SL, one is struck by the more angular lines of the later “Pagodas” vs their more curvaceous antecedents the 300 SL Gullwing and Roadster. While more “boxy” than the earlier SLs, the Pagoda has a strangely proportionate and appealing shape that is immediately recognizable, even by people who know nothing about cars. With styling cues (like vertical headlamps and general front-end treatment) reminiscent of the earlier SLs, the Pagoda relays a more modern (albeit modern in a ’70s sense) evolution of the 300 SL roadster.
Upon opening the driver side door, the SL’s clean, spartan interior reflects a sense of teutonic quality. Long gone are the enormous, cumbersome door sills of the 300 SL, but what remains are the large upright seats, covered in this case, in black vinyl. Like the earlier iteration of the roadster, these seats are large and comfortable, but lack the lateral support more common in a performance sports car. Seating position and distance from the pedals and the large steering wheel are comfortable for a 6-foot-plus driver. Close the substantial feeling door and the driver is left to ponder a clean and stylish dashboard that combines body painted sections with leather, chrome and wood accents for a luxurious feeling cockpit that also instills that “Classic” sensibility of sports cars from the ’60s.
Twist the key and the big, 2.8-liter inline-6 sparks to life with a low, deep voice that is immediately recognizable to anyone who has ever driven a 6-cylinder Mercedes. Like the 6-cylinder engine of the Porsche 911, the Mercedes six has a distinctive throaty voice that is recognizable in every SL, from the very first SL roadster to the last SL sixes built in 1985.
Placing the automatic 4-speed transmission into “4” or drive, brings about a clunk, which all Mercedes automatics from this period seem to share. If there is a bone to be picked with the Pagodas, it is the automatic transmissions, which tend to be somewhat harsh and abrupt, when shifting. Granted, they had to effectively hook up about 195-hp, but the harshness of the shifts with the automatic may grow tiring to those just looking for seamless cruising.
And seamless cruising is exactly where the 280 SL excels. With the top down and the straight-6 purring away under the hood, the 280 SL is an immensely enjoyable car to cruise along Pacific Coast Highway or a meandering back road. From behind the wheel, the 280 SL looks and feels small, with little if any front overhang being visible through the tall windscreen. Yet, despite visual cues that tell the driver this is a small car, the 280 SL feels uncharacteristically solid. There is a sense of “heaviness” there but not in a negative, lethargic sense. The car simply feels substantial, which like the earlier 300 SL roadster, enables the driver to feel more at ease while motoring along at a fast clip. While not a rocketship by sports car standards the 280 SL is capable of a lively 10.3-sec 0-60-mph time and had a top speed of 125 mph. Dragging the car back from top speed are vacuum-assisted disk brakes that are more than adequate for a car of this performance and size.
Handling on the road is reasonably precise for a car of this era, though not as precise or responsive as many “pure” sports cars of the period. However, as mentioned earlier, outright performance was never the mandate for the Pagoda. This was, from its inception, intended to be a luxurious touring car, capable of taking people and their luggage anywhere with wind in their hair and surrounded by comfort and style. With that in mind, the Pagoda SLs are ideally suited to fit this bill.
Driven Classics at a Glance:
SPECIFICATIONS
1970 Mercedes-Benz 280 SL
Production 1968–1971
Number 23,885 Produced
Layout Front Engine with Rear Wheel Drive
Engine 2778-cc (169 cubic in.) inline-6
Bore x Stroke 86.5-mm x 78.8-mm
Compression Ratio 9.5:1
Induction Bosch mechanical fuel injection
Power 195-hp @ 5900
Torque 195-lb-ft
Transmission 4-speed automatic
Wheelbase 94.5 inches
Length 168.8 inches
Width 70 inches
Front Track 58.34 inches
Rear Track 58.46 inches
Height 51.4 inches
Weight 3,120 pounds
PERFORMANCE
Top Speed 125 mph
0-60 mph 10.3-sec
Average fuel consumption:
25-mpg
VALUATION
Price at launch $6,485
Excellent $90,000
Good $65,000
Average $40,000
Poor $27,800
