Description
Offered for sale is an absolutely beautiful, solid, restored example of a rare US spec 4-speed manual 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SL finished in desirable and factory correct Blue (DB 903) over blue. Always a Southern California car, the SL was ordered by Mr. and Mrs. Norman Williams of The Williams Arabian Farms in Malibu, CA and delivered April 4th, 1969. Mr. and Mrs. Williams retained the car until late 1973, when they subsequently sold it a Mr. Steven B. Stabler of Beverly Hills. Mr. Stabler drove the car as a secondary or tertiary vehicle until his death in 2002, at which point his heirs sold the car to its third owner, the chairman of a flower growing conglomerate who lives in Santa Ynez, CA. A collector with more than two dozen cars in his stable, he purchased the SL because of its originality, matching numbers and straight and solid condition.
After driving it sparingly for a few years, he began the arduous process of a thorough body-on restoration which included taking the car down to bare metal, painting it in its original color, re-chroming where necessary, replacing all of the rubber seals throughout, completely reupholstering the interior, interior wood trim refurbishment, installing a new soft-top and going through every aspect of the mechanicals that needed attention which ran up to more than $13,000 in parts and nearly as much in labor. The result of his efforts is a truly beautiful example that is entirely turn-key; not a $125,000 show car, but the ultimate weekend driver ready for its next owner to enjoy.
Cosmetically the car is excellent, the paint deep and lustrous, the chrome free of pitting or dents and the body straight and sound. All of the glass and rubber are excellent and the correct wheels (with color matched hubcaps) are wrapped in tires with plenty of remaining tread. The soft top is new and the hard top has also been restored with a flawless headliner and reconditioned interior wood trim. The car’s interior is equally as beautiful, the seats and carpets professionally reupholstered with only negligible wear apparent throughout. The car’s undercarriage is correct, solid and completely free of rust, as is the trunk and the body. Despite it not being pictured, the car comes with its original spare wheel and vinyl wheel cover, jack and tire changing tools, as well as books, spare keys, data card and a thick stack of records and receipts from the restoration.
Mechanically the car is a joy, starting easily, idling smoothly and pulling strongly through each of the gears. It’s entirely tight with no rattles or odd noises, it handles beautifully, drives and brakes straight and has excellent power. The 4-speed manual transmission makes this car infinitely more fun to drive and desirable, as the automatic versions are geared such that they’re actually quite slow and unpleasant at higher speeds. A very long list of repairs document the mechanical restoration, with nearly everything being addressed (motor mounts, pumps, suspension, clutch, transmission, etc. etc. etc.) short of an engine rebuild. And the only reason the engine wasn’t rebuilt was that it didn’t need to be – careful ownership and routine maintenance left the engine exceedingly strong with excellent compression. The car is a joy to drive and I’d not hesitate to take it for a long road trip or even use it as a daily driver (although it’s too nice of a car for that!).
With W113 values appreciating steadily, this SL represents an excellent opportunity to acquire an investment grade classic that needs nothing for it’s next owner to enjoy it. It checks all the right boxes: rare and desirable 4-speed transmission, beautiful original color combination, careful Southern California ownership history and the recipient of a thorough restoration resulting in excellent cosmetics and exceptional mechanicals.
