Mercedes-Benz SL W 113 – The Pagoda as a lighthouse

In 2022, Mercedes-Benz celebrated 70 years of the SL-Class, starting with the 300 SL racing sports car from 1952 through to the current R 232 generation. In 2023, there is another round, sporty and light anniversary to celebrate: 60 years of the Mercedes-Benz SL W 113, better known as the ‘Pagoda’.

When the 230 SL of the W 113 series was presented at the 1963 Geneva Motor Show, it was given several tasks to fulfil. Too many for a single car to shoulder alone. But the second SL generation took up the challenge.

The 113 model series was to replace two very different vehicles: the thoroughbred sports car 300 SL model series W 198 and the elegant 190 SL (W 121). The footsteps of the already legendary Gullwing and later 300 SL Roadster are difficult to fill. The little sister model 190 SL appealed to a completely different clientele, who were not in such a hurry but wanted to cut a fine figure on the lakeside promenade of Lake Maggiore all the more. So how was it possible to combine the characteristics of two such different cars, develop them further and continue writing the history of the SL?

The 230 SL was presented to the partly curious, partly sceptical public in Geneva with this mortgage. However, those who see it as a compromise between the two SL variants are doing the W 113 an injustice. It does not even attempt to be a compromise, but is simply a reinterpretation of a sports car with a focus on driving performance and handling with comfort and safety.

Bárenyi And Bracq as Fathers of the Mercedes-Benz SL W 113

The basis for the Mercedes-Benz SL W 113 is the floor assembly of the W 111/112 ‘tail fin’ series, which bears the signature of Béla Barényi, head of the Advance Development department. The engineer has made a name for himself above all in the field of passive safety.

Numerous innovations, impulses and patents can be attributed to the long-standing Daimler mastermind. As with the tail fin, the SL also features a safety body with a rigid passenger cell and crumple zones with deformable front and rear segments.

The chassis comes from the 220 SE saloon and is tailored to the needs of the roadster. The 230 SL has recirculating ball steering, a dual-circuit brake system with disc brakes at the front and drums on the rear axle. The suspension is sporty and firm, but also very comfortable. This is ensured by gas-pressurised shock absorbers.

Under the bonnet is the in-line six-cylinder engine from the saloon. However, some radical changes are made for the sportier use in the Roadster. The most important is certainly the change from the two-piston to the six-piston injection pump from Bosch. This enables the fuel to be shot directly into the combustion chamber through the preheated intake duct and the open intake valves, and no longer just into the intake manifold.

The M 127 II engine, bored out to 2.3 litres, now produces 110 kW/150 hp at 5500 rpm. The six-cylinder engine therefore needs to be revved hard, it doesn’t feel quite so comfortable in the engine speed range. The maximum torque is 196 Nm (or 20 mkg in the metre-kilogram unit commonly used at the time) at 4200 rpm.

The tried-and-tested manual four-speed gearbox from the Mercedes range was fitted as standard, with a slightly shorter first gear for quick starts. From 1966, a 5-speed manual gearbox from ZF was also available.

Those who preferred a little more comfort also had the option of choosing a 4-speed automatic transmission. The top speed was 200 km/h with manual transmission and 195 km/h with automatic transmission.

So much for the pure facts, after all, you don’t just buy an SL because of its inner values. The shell is also crucial and Paul Bracq is responsible for this. And he succeeds perfectly in maintaining the balance between sportiness and elegance, rigour and delicacy. Over the years, the French designer has designed numerous large vehicles for Mercedes-Benz – as he did later for the competitors from Munich – and the Pagoda occupies a special position in this respect. The Mercedes-Benz SL W 113 thus continued the SL tradition that began with the W 198. However, it also points the way to a new era with new, fresh and innovative lines and design language.

The removable hardtop literally crowns the W 113 shape. The high, light and glassy roof with its delicate concave movement forms the complementary counterpart to the compact shapes of the convex body. This special roof is also the reason for the nickname ‘Pagoda’, which accompanied the car from the very beginning.

Production of the 230 SL ended in 1967 after 19,381 units had been built. It was replaced by the 250 SL, which had a slightly larger displacement of 2,496 cm³, but was otherwise quite identical – also in terms of performance. However, individual improvements such as the availability of disc brakes at the front and rear were made.

Those who wanted a little more horsepower had to wait another year. The 280 SL not only had more displacement, but also slightly more power at 125 kW/170 hp.

Like every SL generation, the W 113 series set standards in its own way and set the direction for the brand. The predecessors W 198 and W 121 were the pioneers, the successor R 107 with its 18-year production period from 1971 to 1989 paved the way for greater ranges and unit numbers. However, the Pagoda, as the Mercedes of the 1960s, paved the way for the SL roadster, which continues to this day.

However, the W 113 also clearly demonstrates what Mercedes-Benz drivers expect and do not expect from an open-top car with the three-pointed star. For example, they do not want a purist British-style roadster. The fact that around two thirds of vehicles are ordered with the optional automatic transmission and power steering proves this.

Stuttgart’s core competences, such as reliability and safety, are also major selling points among the inclined clientele in this country, but also overseas.

The Pagoda and motorsport

To ensure that sportiness is not neglected in the public perception, Mercedes-Benz allows the 230 SL to take part in sporting competitions in the very year of its launch. Eugen Böhringer and co-pilot Klaus Kaiser took part in the Marathon de la Route, the renowned Belgian long-distance rally, from 27 to 31 August.

With a permanently installed hardtop, slightly more cubic capacity than the standard 230 SL and 20 hp more power, the Mercedes-Benz SL W 113 travelled from Spa via Germany, Austria and Italy to what was then Yugoslavia.

Böhringer/Kaiser returned to Liège as winners, proving that the 230 SL was up to the sporting rigours of a long-distance rally. Just how tough the race was can be seen from the fact that only 20 of the 129 participants who started actually reached the finish line.

The sporting successes certainly emphasised the sporty character of the Mercedes-Benz SL W 113. And the standard SL can also be driven in a sporty manner in all three engine versions – if you drive at the right revs. However, the W 113 was never intended to be a thoroughbred sports car, but much more. It is the mixture of style, solidity and sportiness that makes it so. And the Pagoda has cut a fine figure in this respect since 1963. As a flaneur on the boulevard or when overtaking on the country road.

Mercedes-Benz SL W 113 – The brand ambassador

The role of the W 113 is also of great importance for the Mercedes-Benz brand. It successfully continued the SL path; without the success of the Pagoda, five further generations might not have been launched on the market. However, the SL of the 1960s also showed that safety and open-top driving pleasure were compatible.

Last but not least, the Pagoda has become a veritable brand ambassador for Mercedes-Benz. The rising prices in recent years bear witness to the increase in value, not only in terms of pure monetary value, but also in terms of reputation. You can no longer get a good example for less than €100,000. If you fall back on US versions that have not yet been converted or want to make concessions in terms of condition, you may be able to get below this limit.

But what you get in return is a milestone in Mercedes-Benz history, a timeless, elegant classic; a trailblazer for all subsequent open-top cars with the three-pointed star and simply an exceptionally good piece of German engineering and fine French lines.

Fotos Harry Steininger / Mercedes-Benz AG

Author: Paolo Ollig

As editor-in-chief Paolo regularly writes about all the big and small stories related to classic cars and motorbikes. Classic dreams: Lamborghini Countach and Mercedes-Benz 300 SL. View all posts by Paolo Ollig →