Mercedes-Benz 230 SL W113

MERCEDES-BENZ 230 SL W113 ‘1964
CHASSIS NR. 11304210001572
SOLD AS NEW BY MERCEDES DEALER IN AACHEN. FIRST REGISTRATION IN 15.01.1964.
2.3 LITRE INLINE SIX ENGINE WITH FUEL INJECTION
4-SPEED MANUAL GEARBOX
SIGNAL ROT – RED EXTERIOR WITH BLACK HARD TOP
NATURAL – LIGHT BROWN LEATHER INTERIOR
ODOMETER 93 500 KM’S
REGISTERED AS A HISTORIC VEHICLE. MOT/TÜV INSPECTED 07/2024.

The Gullwing Mercedes, 300 SL, was never supposed to become a serial production version for street use. It was designed as a racing car. However, the Austrian-born, New York-based importer of European sport and luxury cars, Max Hoffmann, saw a growing demand for sports cars in the post-war period, especially in the US market. In 1953, Hoffmann met the Mercedes management team in Stuttgart and it was decided to produce a about thousand street cars of the 300 SL.

The production of the Gullwing Mercedes turned out to be particularly expensive, since its base car was a handmade sports car. Mercedes-Benz engineers was given the task of realizing a sports car, the production costs of which were half the costs of Gullwing, but the beauty of the body could not be compromised. The end result was the 190 SL introduced in 1955, whose shapes resembled the 300 SL, but the power source was a direct four-cylinder petrol engine.

The Mercedes 190 SL was an instant sales success, but it left a gap for a performance sports car.

In 1963, Mercedes corrected the situation and presented the W113 230SL at the Geneva Motor Show. The chassis structure was borrowed from the W111 Mercedes, shortening it by 30 centimeters. The engine and powertrain, on the other hand, was familiar from the W112-S-Mercedes, a 2.3-liter inline six engine. The hard top roof was designed for the open model by a designer named Paul Bracq. Due to the low and backward sloping roof, the car received the legendary nickname, Pagoda.

This particular car is an early model of the W113 series. The car was ordered by the Mercedes dealer located in Aachen already in 1961. The car was delivered to the customer and first registered on January 15, 1964. From Germany, the car ended up in the United States, perhaps as a moving car for a soldier returning from the army. The car was bought from California to Finland in February 1989 by M. Varjonen, who restored the car and drove it in the summers until 2016.

In 2016, the car was acquired by the current owner, M.Häkkinen, during whose ownership the car has been thoroughly restored to very high standards. About 2,200 working hours have been used to restore the car and the car is Classic Data inspected with a rating of 1-.

The restoration done by respected classic car professionals is carefully documented. Below is a summary of the most important and major steps, detailed documentation available upon request.

With the body restoration, the body has been blasted and sanded to the bare metal and the rear wings have been renewed. After careful bodywork including the steps of preparations for the final paint, the body is finished in Mercedes’ Signal Rot (568) red shade, and the hardtop and hub caps in black. The chrome parts of the body have been restored / renewed.

The restoration of the car has included dismantling and overhauling the engine. The radiator and fuel system have also been refurbished, the exhaust system has been renewed and the power steering has been replaced with a factory refurbished original unit. The seals of the gearbox and the wearing parts of the propshaft have been renewed. The front axle has been overhauled.

The car’s instrument panels and gauges have been restored and the dashboard painted. The original wooden parts have been restored. The lock and window mechanisms of the doors and hatches have been renovated. The floor and door upholsteries and Natural Brown leather (210) seat upholsteries with moldings have been renewed with correct materials. The frame of the soft top is restored and the black soft top renewed.

The car is registered as a historic vehicle. The end result is very impressive, the Mercedes works great and is a pleasure to drive.

The car is located in Helsinki, 25 minutes from Helsinki–Vantaa Airport.

Views by appointment only.

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