1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SL Pagoda 4-Speed
Vehicle Details
- Year: 1971
- Make: Mercedes-Benz
- Model: 280SL
- VIN: 11304410022422
- Mileage: 16,138mi (5-digit odometer)
- Transmission: Manual
- Title Status: Clean
- Color: Dark Red
- Seller: PEDIGREE11
- Seller Type: Dealer
- Location: Gulf Stream, FL 33483
- Dealer Fees: None
- Lot #: V-0024013
Available for auction is this 1971 Mercedes-Benz W113 280SL “Pagoda” finished in Dark Red (542G) over a Black MB-Tex interior. Introduced at the 1963 Geneva Motor Show and produced through 1971, the W113 replaced the 190 SL and legendary 300 SL roadsters. This 280SL was originally delivered by Globe Motorcars of Fairfield, New Jersey, and came equipped with air conditioning, a limited-slip differential, power steering, a Becker radio, and a highly desirable 4-speed manual transmission. A full restoration is said to have been carried out approximately 15 years ago, and it was subsequently acquired by its previous owner who kept fastidious notes on the car up until 2021. Having received over $9k in service in preparation for sale, this 280SL is now being offered for auction out of Florida.
This example was refinished in its original shade of Dark Red (542G) during the restoration and features a matching Pagoda hardtop as well as a black convertible soft top. Details include a driver’s side rearview mirror, bumper guards, dual polished exhaust outlets, and a set of 14” steel wheels with body-colored covers and Bridgestone Insignia SE200 whitewall tires.
The cabin is trimmed in Black MB-Tex vinyl with matching door panels and carpeting. Amenities include three-point seatbelts, a locking glove box, roll-up windows, a Becker radio, and factory air conditioning. Since being acquired by the seller, the clock was sent to VDO and the radio to Becker for repairs, the driver’s window regulator was replaced, and the air conditioning system was refurbished. The seller confirms all gauges and accessories remain fully functional.
Power comes from an M130 2.8L inline-six cylinder engine that drives the rear wheel by way of a rare 4-speed manual transmission with a limited-slip differential. This example was also fitted with power steering from the factory. 1971 was the final year of the W113, and this is believed to be one of approximately 110 280SL versions sold in the U.S. with a 4-speed manual transmission. The previous owner is said to have kept detailed notes on the car, some of which are available for reference in the gallery. In preparation for this sale, a major service was carried out at a cost of over $9k which included a new water pump, spark plugs, power steering box, rear shock mounts, center support assembly, fuel sender and gasket, fuel feeder hose, battery, and more. In addition, the coolant, engine oil, and power steering fluids were replaced.
This sale will include owner's books, the original window sticker and data card, a Pagoda hardtop and stand, service records, and a clean title.
Auction Results
- Highest Bid: $106,500
- Auction End: Nov 03, 2022 08:21:29PM UTC
- Number of Bids: 58
Comments (86)
Bid in the amount of $106,500
Bid in the amount of $106,000
Bid in the amount of $105,000
this is very exciting to watch..... someone needs a really strong bid to end the 250 increments.... Now is the fun time
Bid in the amount of $104,000
Bid in the amount of $103,250
Bid in the amount of $103,000
Bid in the amount of $101,000
Bid in the amount of $100,350
Bid in the amount of $100,100
Bid in the amount of $98,000
Bid in the amount of $97,000
Bid in the amount of $94,250
Bid in the amount of $94,000
Bid in the amount of $93,250
Bid in the amount of $93,000
Bid in the amount of $92,250
Bid in the amount of $92,000
Bid in the amount of $91,250
Bid in the amount of $91,000
Bid in the amount of $90,250
Bid in the amount of $90,000
@BarryLe maybe it will be you :)
Looking forward to seeing where this auction finishes.
Bid in the amount of $87,000
As we are approaching the last couple of hours, we are monitoring this for any questions.... If anyone has a question that we havent already answered, now is the time to ask... Thank you to all of the bidders, someone is going to have a really impressive 280SL that they will enjoy driving and can be proud of.
Bid in the amount of $70,777
Bid in the amount of $68,530
Bid in the amount of $68,280
Bid in the amount of $68,030
Bid in the amount of $67,780
Bid in the amount of $67,530
Bid in the amount of $67,280
Bid in the amount of $66,666
This is a solid piece of art , I'm probably not going to be lucky to purchase it as a Mercedes fan and owner there is no doubt this one is near concourse condition (my first new Mercedes special order is a 79 , 2001 special order plus four others still in my possession ) by the way I have inspected today it's marvelous ( by the way this is my opinion)
Bid in the amount of $60,280
Bid in the amount of $60,000
Bid in the amount of $50,280
Bid in the amount of $48,666
Bid in the amount of $48,280
Bid in the amount of $47,530
Bid in the amount of $47,280
Bid in the amount of $47,000
I'll bet the speedo cable has a kink, quite easy to change out at the Trans. Speedometers of the period are typically wound-wire and replaceable for not much cash.
OTOH, Tachometers are typically voltage driven devices where electrical connections can be the culprit in decades old cars
@FORMULAONE you are correct, the speedometer does bounce around. However, and driving the car, I did not find that the tachometer was. It certainly is not as precise as a modern car, but it does hold steady. When I was driving the car in the video, I was purposely going through the gears and not holding a steady speed so you could hear the sound of the engine revving. Regarding the clock, we had sent it out to video to get repaired, but it has stopped working. That will be fixed before the car is delivered to its new owner. There are no electrical issues all of the lights, turn signals horns, etc. are in proper working condition. There are no leaks. The car is completely dry underneath.
Bid in the amount of $46,280
Bid in the amount of $46,000
Greetings,
The SPEEDO and TACHO, they both jump up and down instead of steady state in place..
Is there any missing Mechanical piece part/s? Or, NOT fully engaged?
The CLOCK seems 2 B stock at 10:00 since all relevant interior photos do record the same exact TIME . . Any idea what's happening?
Any Oil Leak?
Any Electrical issue/s, i.e. turn signal/s, interior illumination, LOW-HIGH Beam, etc.?
@BarryLe Yes, I received it and sent you a reply.
@Awesome Yes the numbers are matching.
Bid in the amount of $45,500
Bid in the amount of $45,100
Bid in the amount of $44,757
Bid in the amount of $44,375
Seller: I just sent you a private message through the Contact Seller link. Please confirm that you have received my message. Thanks.
I would guess highly unlikely it’s only 16k miles for a 71 in a car that’s so drivable as a 280sl.
Are the numbers all matching?
@TheGerman I know a lot about this car but I’m not going to misrepresent it. We do not have history on its Restoration. Your comment of “acting this way” is uncalled for. We are not going to make claims about the restoration that happened 15 years prior to our purchasing it without having documentation to back it up . Unfortunately, the owner that had it restored is no longer around. There are lots of dealers that will claim to know something about a car that they don’t have documentation on, we are not that company. We are as transparent as possible, and making the car available for inspection anybody who would like to inspect it. I’m sorry if this car doesn’t meet your needs. But we are not going to lay claim to knowing some thing about its history without having the proper back up.
@ PEDIGREE11 (seller)
I accept your writing.
But you are the first car dealer I know who knows so little about a car he bought and now wants to sell it again.
Ok, it's your decision to act this way.
I was interested in this beautiful Pagoda, but I can't bid if I don't know the basic data of a car. Sorry!
@TheGerman with all due respect, I have answered all of your questions to the best of my ability. Again, we do not have records of the restoration. I cannot verify what was done since we don't know. The car is available for inspection so you have the ability to go over it yourself or send someone to inspect it for you. Regarding service records, we have the notes from the previous owner and they are shown in the gallery. We also have the records of the work we performed. Regarding miles, we are told its original miles, but cannot verify it.
@ PEDIGREE11 (seller)
sorry for the unclear spelling here I try it again more clearly
Ok, thx for your answers, but:
I'm convinced you as a professional dealer had asked the seller before buying the car in 2021 what we want to know now:
Here are the unanswered questions again:
-Was it a complete paint restoration with windows, doors and top removed down to bare sheet metal?
- What other parts were restored? engine?
Gearbox? Axles? Front/rear fenders?
- Can you tell from the records if the mileage is correct at 116,138...or is it 216,138 miles...or do you have another reference to the mileage?
We were told the miles are original, but we can't verify.
Yes ok, but how many in total? 116,138...or 216,138 or more miles
- Is there a stamped maintenance booklet? Maintenance booklet is available
Would you please post the stamped pages?
@ PEDIGREE11 (seller)
Ok, thx for your answers, but:
I'm convinced you as a professional dealer had asked the seller before buying the car in 2021 what we want to know now:
Here are the unanswered questions again:
-Was it a complete paint restoration with windows, doors and top removed down to bare sheet metal?
- What other parts were restored?
engine? Gearbox? Axles? Front/rear fenders?
- Can you tell from the records if the mileage is correct at 116,138...or is it 216,138 miles...or do you have another reference to the mileage?
We were told the miles are original, but we can't verify.
Yes ok, but how many in total? 116,138...or 216,138 or more miles
- Is there a stamped maintenance booklet?
Maintenance booklet is available
Would you please post the stamped pages?
@Jahan that’s just stains on the cardboard. They’re not from that car. The car is completely dry underneath. You can see that from the chassis pictures and video we posted.
Hi picture 193 and 195 oil leak stain on cardboard, it from this car, if so is the from oiled pan ?
Are there any other oils or fluid leaks?
Thank
@TheGerman some questions:
- no rust or paint bubbles on any part?
No, none, no rust or bubbles anywhere
- does there existe some pics from the restoration?
NO, as we have stated, the restoration was completed prior to the previous owner purchasing it, we do not have any documentation of the restoration. However, its a very high quality restoration based on how well it has stood the test of time.
-Was it a complete paint restoration with windows, doors and top removed down to bare sheet metal?
- which other parts had been restored? Engine? Gearbox? Axles? Front/rear fenders?
- does anyone know at what mileage the restoration was done?
- would you pls. post some close pics from those special notches at each the front fenders?
They are in the gallery
- can you see out of the records wether the miles are correect with 116,138? or ist it 216,138 miles? or have you another advice to the miles?
We have been told the miles are original, but we cannot verify it.
- does there exist a stamped maintenance booklet?
Maintenance book is included
- what is the speed index and the production date of the tires
There are close up pictures of the tires in the gallery. They are in perfect condition.
- is the A/C converted to R134a?
Yes
@Awesome Showing 16,000, undocumented miles, prior to our purchasing this car it was last sold in 2012. The previous owner had purchased it after it had a major restoration. The restoration was done correctly to original specs and the notches were left in the headlight surrounds. Unfortunately we do not have a record of that restoration.
The previous owner kept fastidious notes. Accompanying the car is a notebook with hand written notes from every time he drove the car. Copies of the pages of those notes are in our photo gallery.
Although we were told the miles are original, we cannot verify that. That is why we specifically say "16,000 undocumented miles"
Do service records correlate to 16k miles and not 116k miles or more?
16k sounds low for a car of this age
Bid in the amount of $44,123
Bid in the amount of $41,000
- " A full restoration is said to have been carried out approximately 15 years ago..." It's a long time since.
some questions:
- no rust or paint bubbles on any part?
- does there existe some pics from the restoration?
-Was it a complete paint restoration with windows, doors and top removed down to bare sheet metal?
- which other parts had been restored? Engine? Gearbox? Axles? Front/rear fenders?
- does anyone know at what mileage the restoration was done?
- would you pls. post some close pics from those special notches at each the front fenders?
- can you see out of the records wether the miles are correect with 116,138? or ist it 216,138 miles? or have you another advice to the miles?
- does there exist a stamped maintenance booklet?
- what is the speed index and the production date of the tires
- is the A/C converted to R134a?
Thx for answering
Bid in the amount of $40,000
It needs Sheepskin seat covers from Beverly Hills Motoring Accessories. Oh wait, it's not 1972 anymore Dorothy. If I wanted one of these it would be this one. Really great looking car here.
Nice rich color. GL
Bid in the amount of $38,383
Bid in the amount of $35,113
Bid in the amount of $33,333
Bid in the amount of $30,113
Bid in the amount of $29,363
Bid in the amount of $29,113
Bid in the amount of $25,250
Bid in the amount of $25,000
I have owned two of these---a 230SL and a 71 280SL. I miss the latter a lot!!!!
Bid in the amount of $3,250
Bid in the amount of $3,000
@Alexdimit Location: Gulf Stream, FL 33483
@PEDIGREE11 What part of Florida is the car in?
Bid in the amount of $2,500
Hello everyone and welcome to out 1971 280SL 4 Speed with AC. This is a super nice turn key example that has been meticulously restored. We are happy to answer any questions and make the car available for inspections. If you have a question that requires an immediate response, please click on " contact seller " and we will get right back to you. Good luck to all of the bidders, someone will be very happy and proud to own this beautiful 280SL.