Description
Offered for sale is a beautiful little European model 1965 Mercedes-Benz 230SL finished in beautiful and factory correct White (DB 050) over a Cognac leather interior. A wonderful weekend driver example, this W113 Pagoda is in beautiful condition, entirely honest with both tops, a solid undercarriage and a strong original engine and transmission. As a European model it retains its telltale “fishbowl” headlamp lenses, metric gauges and “Automatic” badging on the rear decklid.
Sold new to an American officer stationed in West Germany, the car followed him home to South Carolina in the late 1960s. He would go on to own it until 1973, at which point it was sold to its second owner, a Mr. Donald Pierce of Sumter, SC. Mr. Pierce would retain the car for a decade, before selling it to a Mrs. Anne Dale of Nashville, TN in 1983. Mrs. Dale kept the car for 19 years before selling it locally to a Mr. John Pekarsky of Hendersonville, TN. He would in turn own the car for 12 years before we were able to acquire it earlier this summer. Throughout its ownership history, the car has always been garaged and maintained, used consistently and cosmetically freshened as needed through the years.
The White finish is in excellent condition, consistent and lustrous and marred only by the most negligible of imperfections, none of which are significant enough to appear in any of the pictures. The chrome is in great shape, as are the glass and rubber, and the wheels are fitted with color matched hub caps and wrapped with “narrow” white wall Michelin tires with plenty of remaining tread. The car comes with both tops: the original color matched hardtop and the black soft top, both of which have been used infrequently. The hardtop is in excellent condition, with a clean, undamaged headliner and wood trim in excellent condition, and the soft top is entirely serviceable while showing its age. The car’s interior is equally clean, the rich Cognac leather front seats and tan carpets virtually flawless after having been professionally reupholstered in 2003 using all of the correct materials. The original interior panels and rare original “kinder seat” show only minimal wear consistent with a car that’s always been well cared for. The original dash is in great shape, free of any cracks or warping and housing its original radio and wood trim in excellent original condition. The car’s undercarriage is entirely solid, with any corrosion having been correctly and professionally repaired.
The car is also in excellent mechanical condition, the original numbers matching engine starting easily, idling consistently and pulling strongly and smoothly through each of the transmission’s gears. Compression is consistent across all cylinders, the ride quality is superb, and the suspension and brakes behave exactly as they should, perfectly illustrating that the W113 is perhaps the first classic Mercedes that has the requisite power and ease of operation to qualify as daily driver in modern traffic, while still retaining a visceral, vintage appeal that is sure to provide its next owner with decades of grin-inducing performance and service.
With its strong numbers-matching mechanicals, solid undercarriage and beautiful cosmetic condition, this 230SL represents an excellent opportunity to acquire a quickly appreciating, drivable classic that checks all the boxes for an excellent weekend driver. With clean Pagodas becoming more and more difficult to come by at fair prices, this lovely little example deserves your serious consideration.
