Description
Offered for sale is an exceptionally clean, mechanically strong and entirely solid European version 1967 Mercedes-Benz 250SL finished in ever-desirable and factory correct Silver Grey (DB 180) over a blue interior and retaining its original, straight and accident-free body and solid original undercarriage. Delivered new to its first owner in Italy, the car was imported to the U.S. sometime in the late 1970s, at which point it entered the stewardship of a wealthy Miami businessman who would own the car until we were able to acquire it early this year. Throughout its nearly 50 years of service, the car was always well cared for, garaged and attended to, yielding the wonderful example offered here today.
The 250SL’s finish is striking, lustrous and deep and cloaking an entirely straight, accident free original body, retaining factory correct and consistent panel fits and gaps throughout as well as its factory original fender spot welds, headlamp notches and numbers matching stamped hood and trunk. This is not a show car, but flaws are few and far between and the pictures accurately represent the car’s gorgeous condition, including the unblemished bumpers and trim, as well as all of the glass in good original condition. The car’s undercarriage is entirely original and extremely solid – the brown/reddish hue you see on the undercarriage pictures is not rust, but rather road dust accumulated from the roads surrounding the previous owner’s vacation home where the car was garaged for the last decade.
The car’s interior is equally clean, the blue MB-Tex seats (including the rare “kinder seat” in the rear) and interior panels in excellent condition, the carpets and wood trim showing only minimal wear typical of a well-cared for example and the dash housing its original Becker radio. The car’s black German canvas soft top shows only minimal wear and retains a clear rear window, and the car’s original hard top in excellent condition. The car is also fitted with an aftermarket Bud’s Benz Air Conditioning unit which is far superior to any of the dealer installed units offered when new, however it can also be easily removed if originality is important to its next owner.
The car is also excellent mechanically, the original 2.5L engine starting effortlessly, idling consistently and pulling strongly and smoothly through the automatic transmission’s gears with even compression across all cylinders. Having enjoyed the car on a recent jaunt up into the Santa Ynez Valley, I can report that the car performed beautifully, the engine running strong and cool, the car driving and braking straight and true and the ride quality entirely comfortable, whether tooling around town, winding through the canyons or bombing down the highway. The odometer shows 36k kilometers, which, based on the car’s condition we believe to be 136k kilometers or 84,500 original miles.
The 250SL was a vast improvement to its 230SL predecessor and was certainly the rarest of the Pagodas, making up less than 11% of the W113 production run. If you’re looking for a beautiful, entirely solid and mechanically sound 250SL, this car deserves your serious consideration. Finished in a desirable and factory correct Silver Grey over Blue and retaining it’s original factory spot-welded fenders, stamped original body panels and strong original engine, this is a wonderful example that’s sure to appreciate and offer years of enjoyable and trustworthy service.
