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While I may not write about them very often I actually love a vintage Mercedes. Many of the designs possess those timeless characteristics that make so many vintage automobiles desirable and perhaps none more so than the Pagoda. The SL has long showcased the sort of sleek lines and elegant styling that make people want to put the top down and be seen. Andrew has featured a few of these of late, but I hope our readers can allow for another (and I promise I haven’t just featured this one because there’s a 911 GT3 RS in the background). The one we see here, a Black 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SL with Cognac interior, comes from the final year of their production and looks invitingly ready to be enjoyed.
I’ve been featuring a lot of Pagodas of late so I planned on laying off them for awhile, but I ran across one that deserves an immediate look. Usually these things are winners in totally stock form and any kind of aftermarket modification detracts greatly from it’s appeal and not to mention its value. But what we have today is something I didn’t even think was possible. So let’s check out what’s so special about this Pagoda for sale at the authority for W113s outside of Boston.
Just over a month ago, I featured a 1971 Pagoda that is so similar to today’s car that I actually thought it was the same car when I first looked at the listing. Luckily, it’s not, but I thought I’d investigate this one a little further because who doesn’t love a nice Pagoda? (except that forsaken 1969 in NYC we all screamed in horror over) So lets take a look at this surprisingly reasonably priced 280SL located in Queens, NY.
Often when we feature the classic W113 Mercedes Pagoda, it’s an example that has low-miles, flawless paint, an interior that is pristine and spends most of the time tucked away, rarely to see the light of day. With these cars now regularly fetching six figures, I don’t blame the owners for protecting their investments. Infrequently do we see a Pagoda you can feel okay about using on a regular basis to enjoy while still maintaining it’s beauty and stature. This 1971 280SL located in Atlanta can offer all that.
They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But I think few would have trouble seeing the beauty in any vintage Mercedes SL Roadster. I’m certainly not the first to say it, but there is something about these cars that transcends basic automotive design. They almost move into the realm of fashion becoming the ultimate accessory, but even for those who may not care about the adoring looks of others I think we can sense just what is so captivating about these cars. Like an E-Type Jag the design seems perfected from the start and all later variations continue to pay homage to that design, even if those later variants are never quite as pretty. They are complex, but also beautifully simple. The example we see here is a beautiful Burgundy Metallic 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SL, located in Las Vegas, with a stated 11,116 miles on it, though that may be the mileage since its restoration.
