Description
Offered for sale is a gorgeous, two owner, low mileage, mechanically strong, entirely solid 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SL finished in ceaselessly sophisticated white (DB050) over a red leather interior with a dark blue canvas soft top, all of which are factory correct original specifications. Always well cared for and garaged, the car’s undercarriage is entirely solid and sound, which can also be said of the car’s original mechanicals. The car was originally ordered new from Mercedes in Germany by Mr. Erich Marzian, a German businessman who had immigrated to New York nearly a decade prior. Completed by the factory to Mr. Marzian’s specifications on July 23rd, 1970 (at a cost of 31,454.64 DM), the car arrived in Brooklyn, NY on August 24th, 1970 and was unloaded at the 36th Street Pier, where Mr. Marzian took possession for a period that would last nearly 35 years until his death in 2005. His widow Irmgard retained the car until 2011, at which point she sold it to a collector in Hilton Head, South Carolina. We acquired the car from the second owner earlier this year. Original order documentation from Mercedes, correspondence and invoices from shipping and delivery agents, as well as ownership documentation throughout the car’s life are all included in the sale.
Throughout the Marzian’s extended ownership, the car was always a point of pride for the family, used sparingly on weekends and special occasions (and only in good weather), and always well cared for, garaged and maintained. Consequently, per Mrs. Marzian’s description to the second owner, only 28k original miles were accrued during their forty-one years of ownership. Having inspected the car’s mechanicals and original cosmetics, our German master mechanic is inclined to agree with the statement. Upon acquiring the car in 2011, the second owner continued its sparing use, showing it at local events and ensuring that all of the mechanicals were properly serviced and maintained. The car received one repaint in its factory original White finish while in the Marzian’s care and the second owner had the seats reupholstered in factory correct red leather and the soft top replaced in the factory correct dark blue German canvas. Aside from those sympathetic cosmetic refurbishments, the car is very original; a gorgeous example that truly shows the care provided throughout its sheltered life.
Special ordered from the factory by Mr. Marzian, the White finish over Red interior is an exceedingly tasteful and crisp livery, somehow managing to be timeless and era specific all at once. The special ordered dark blue canvas soft top is somewhat uncommon for W113 Pagoda SLs as most cars in this color scheme would have had a black soft top, but whether it was a patriotic tip of the cap towards his new country or merely Mr. Marzian’s personal preference, we feel it is an interesting and attractive alternative, absolutely preferable to black. In terms of 100 point concours quality examples, this Pagoda is not a show car, but it presents beautifully, marred only by a number of minor, touched-up imperfections, none of which are significant enough to appear in any of the pictures. The glass is in excellent condition and chrome is in great shape, the only imperfections being a couple of exceedingly soft, hard-to-see impressions in the rear bumpers. The original hubcapped wheels are free of any damage, wrapped in thin white wall tires with plenty of remaining tread. The car’s interior is also gorgeous, the carpets, dash, interior panels and headliner all in excellent original condition and the recently reupholstered leather seats showing only negligible wear. The car retains its original steering wheel, free of any significant cracking, as well as its original Becker Europa radio, all books and manuals and an original tool kit in the rust-free trunk.
The car is also excellent mechanically, the bullet-proof 2.8L I6 engine firing up effortlessly, idling consistently and pulling strongly and smoothly through each of the original transmission’s gears with excellent, even compression across all cylinders. The car drives and brakes straight and true, the suspension is tight and the ride quality is entirely comfortable whether tooling through town, winding through the canyons or bombing down the highway. It feels as tight and mechanically sound as one would expect from a well-cared-for, low mileage example, needing nothing but another doting new owner to be enjoyed.
The market has never been hotter for W113 Pagoda SLs and this very original, mechanically strong and cosmetically striking 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SL checks all of the important boxes: a.) solid and original undercarriage, b.) excellent documented provenance, c.) strong numbers matching drivetrain, and d.) a factory correct and tasteful livery. This is an excellent opportunity to acquire a wonderful example of a quickly appreciating, investment grade classic, one that will undoubtedly provide its next owner with years of trusty service and upside.
