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Description

Very rare original specification, manual gearbox and limited-slip diff
Extensive history file and maintained regardless of cost
Sold new to North America with European Spec conversion
Extremely original car with factory hardtop
Desireable colour combination, light ivory white with tan interior and hood

Once described by classic Mercedes expert Roger Edwards as being one of the finest 280SLs he’d ever seen, this is a beautiful example of the German marque’s supremely stylish two-seater.

Built in September 1970 and sold new to Mr. Michael L Bergman of Lyons, Colorado, it was specified with a manual gearbox and very rare limited-slip differential, plus of course its ‘Pagoda’ hard-top which accompanies the car on a purpose built stand.

Mr Bergman kept the 280SL until the late 1970s, when it passed to Larry Fitzsimons – another Colorado resident. In 1988, Fitzsimons commissioned a Denver-based Mercedes specialist, Austria Motors, to rebuild the engine and, two years later, the gearbox as well.

The car changed hands in 1992 and again in 1998, when it was bought by a collector and enthusiast who lived in Denver. He had the 280SL’s bodywork stripped to bare metal and resprayed in its original colour of Light Ivory. There is a photographic record of this work in the car’s extensive history file, and it shows how solid the bodywork had remained.

The US-market bumper overriders were removed, European-spec headlamps were fitted, and in 2000 the Mercedes was shipped across the Atlantic when the owner moved to the UK. All of the power-sapping US emissions controls were subsequently removed from the six-cylinder engine, and the car’s paperwork confirms that the car has been fastidiously maintained since then, with no expense spared.

The rear suspension rubbers were replaced at 79,000 miles, a new propshaft coupling was fitted at 81,000 miles, and at 84,000 miles it received new hoses and belts, a stainless-steel exhaust and a new brake master cylinder. New front brake discs, fuel hoses and a gearbox oil seal were installed at 91,000 miles, and in January 2024 a brand-new mohair hood was fitted at a cost of more than £4000.

Now being offered for sale, this matching-numbers Mercedes 280SL Pagoda is in exceptional condition throughout and is presented with its original handbook, Becker radio and tool kit. It even still has the original stickers on the boot lid for oil level and tyre pressures, and represents a peerless blend of elegant styling and engineering excellence.

Condition & Registration

Registered

Ready to drive

Inspection Report

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Technical Details

Vehicle data

Make: Mercedes-Benz
Model series: SL-Class
Model name: 280 SL
Manufacturer code: W 113
First registration date: Not provided
Year of manufacture: 1970
Mileage (read)
Chassis number: Not provided
Engine number: Not provided
Gearbox number: Not provided
Matching numbers: No
Number of owners: Not provided

Technical details

Body style: Convertible (Roadster)
Power (kW/hp): 125/170
Cubic capacity (cm³): 2778
Cylinders: 6
Doors: 2
Steering: Left (LHD)
Gearbox: Manual
Gears: Not provided
Transmission: Rear
Front brakes: Disc
Rear brakes: Disc
Fuel type: Petrol

Individual Configuration

Exterior color: White
Interior color: Brown

Interior material: Leather

Location

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1970 | Mercedes-Benz 280 SL