1964 Mercedes-Benz 230SL

Registration No: CCN 894B
Chassis No: 11304212008246
MOT: Exempt

• Recently imported from California from the Beverly Hills Car Club
• Presented in very original, solid condition in Red over Cream Leather Interior
• A 'Coupe Convertible' with both hardtop and soft-top roofs, automatic transmission and power steering
• Fully UK registered with V5C Registration Document presented

Successor to both the exotic race-bred 300SL 'Gullwing' Coupe and its humbler 190SL sibling, the W113 series SL proved more comfortable than the former and faster than the latter (a point emphasised by Eugen Bohringer's 1963 Liege-Sofia-Liege rally victory). First of the line, the 230SL was introduced at the March 1963 Geneva Salon. Penned by Paul Bracq, its wonderfully crisp styling clothed a monocoque chassis equipped with all-round independent coil-sprung suspension and disc brakes. Powered by a 2308cc SOHC straight-six engine mated to a four-speed manual transmission, the model was credited with 150bhp and 159lbft of torque. Reputedly capable of 124mph, it was praised by the contemporary motoring press for its performance, roadholding, and refinement. Available in Californian Coupe, Convertible or Coupe Convertible guises, the last of these came with both a soft-top and the famous 'Pagoda' hardtop roof, so called because of its gently scalloped centre section.

First supplied to the U.S Market as a left-hand drive automatic car, chassis 11304212008246 pleasingly retains a high degree of originality including its original Red over Cream leather interior colour scheme. The car is understood to have been sold by the Beverley Hills Car Club and imported to the UK in 2021, when it was received into the custodianship of a Gentleman in London. The car was then purchased by the vendor in 2022 and was transferred to his business in 2023, therefore the V5C now displays two previous keepers.

On inspection, the car appears to have retained a large amount of originality thanks to its previous life in the dry climate of California. The Red paintwork is patinated yet in overall 'fair' condition although a prospective purchaser may wish to refresh this. The interior is in a beautiful original condition and has benefitted from a set of carpets in the front of the car. Mechanically, the car does run and drive however it is understood that the head gasket has failed between a cylinder and a cooling channel and in need of replacement. However, the vendor has confirmed that he was using the car previous to the failure and all other mechanical elements are in 'good' order. The car is presented with its body-coloured Pagoda top plus a Cream mohair hood which complements the colour scheme of the car very well.

The car now offers a prospective purchaser a dilemma as to whether to simply fix the mechanical issues and use as is or restore the car to its former glory - either way this is a fantastic opportunity to score the iconic 'Pagoda' 230SL for a reasonable sum.

For more information, please contact:
Lucas Gomersall
[email protected]
07484 082430