1964 Mercedes-Benz 230SL Pagoda

With just one former UK keeper on the V5 registration document, this wonderful Mercedes-Benz 230SL Pagoda came to these shores via a German classic car museum.

A left-hand-drive car fitted with the desirable manual gearbox and hardtop roof, it was used very briefly on the road before spending many years on display. As a result, it only shows 98,000kms (or around 60,000 miles) on the odometer.

It’s been in the care of the seller since June 2020, and he’s invested a lot of time and money in its maintenance since then in order to be able to use it for events such as the Border Reivers Rally, the completion of which should reassure potential bidders as to its reliability!

Our assessor notes that the paint is “excellent”, going on to praise the panel fit in the same way. It’s overall “fit and finish is all very good” and “it’s a lovely car overall”, which is high praise when you consider how many classic cars he gets to see in a week.

The black folding roof is in great shape and fits well, furling and unfurling as it should. It’s a simple but effective design and offers very good weather-resistance in its own right.

But, for genuine all-season protection you need a hardtop. This one is “good and fits well” but then it was professionally painted to match the coachwork in late 2020, so you’d expect nothing less, would you?

All four wheels were refurbished in July 2020 as well and they look great.

They’re also fitted with matching Firestone Cavallino Sport tyres, which experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

Flaws? Well, there is a small chip to the paint below the badge (#120) and while the chromework is generally good we have noticed some light pitting in a few places.

Okay, the interior is somewhat let down by the rips to the two seats (e.g. #213 and #35) and the steering wheel (#166), but once you’ve got past that – and if you don’t mind the patinated look this wear would be easy to get past - the rest is unequivocally good news.

The headlining, for example, is very good, as are most of the carpets (the exception being the patch you can see in #210). The door cards are great too, as is the dashboard and instruments.

And don’t you just love the tan leather colour scheme? So much more interesting than the more usual black, it works brilliantly with the red exterior – and, let’s face it, you’re going to be driving with the roof down most of the time, aren’t you?

As ever, the Pagoda’s cabin is a riot of beautiful details like the Blaupunkt radio, simple white gearknob, and delicate seat adjusters.

The boot is excellent, and contains a set of new overmats in addition to the full-size spare wheel.

The car has been fettled on a continuous basis, receiving new spark plugs in addition to repairs to the gear linkage, rear differential, and fuel pump in 2020.

A steering drag link was replaced in 2021, along with work to free off a recalcitrant brake caliper. A wheel cylinder and rear wheel bearing were then changed in 2022 in addition to fitting another set of spark plugs.

Finally, March 2023 saw it get a new battery and a check-over ahead of coming here to us.

All that hard work has paid off because it starts flawlessly, runs beautifully and drives as it should. It also makes a lovely noise and that’s half the fun of driving a sportscar, isn’t it?

As we mentioned earlier, the seller used it to complete the Border Reivers Rally, where it “performed beautifully!” He was also mentioned that the combination of the 2.3-litre engine and manual gearbox gave good performance while simultaneously returning decent fuel economy, which is almost as important on this kind of event.

(On a less practical note, the engine and underbonnet area look terrific, don’t they?)

In addition to the UK invoices we mention above, there is some paperwork from the car’s earlier years in Germany.

The Document File Contains:

- A UK V5 Registration Document

- Numerous Invoices from EK Motors, most recently in March 2023

- Old MOT Certificates

- Copy of German Fahrzeugbrief

- An original German Fahrzeugbrief dated 2002

- Invoices from Vintec, dated 2009 and 2013

- An Invoices from Ing. Popp GMBH, dated 1998

- Sundry Invoices

The Pagoda’s MoT certificate, which is valid until November 2023, was gained without a single advisory point. We love it when owners put an MoT on a car that doesn’t need one by law because we think it’s a sign of a responsible and diligent owner and feel it says only good things about the car they’re selling.

The Mercedes-Benz 230SL Pagoda spent most of its life in the shadow of its more famous siblings, which is ridiculous because not only is it utterly gorgeous, it also has a star-studded appeal all its own.

Trouble is, folk are starting to cotton on to just how good these pretty little sportscars are, so prices are starting to nudge up. This means we think you’ll have to stump up somewhere between £60,000 and £80,000 to make this one yours.

Still, the cost of any classic car can only be calculated after you’ve sold it and cars of this quality are always in demand, so you might be pleasantly surprised when the time comes to let it go.

And besides, who wouldn’t want to be able to say they drove the same car as Fangio?

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.