The 280 SL was introduced in December 1967 and continued in production through 23 February 1971, when the W 113 was replaced by the entirely new and substantially heavier R107 350 SL. Over the years, the W 113 evolved from a sports car into a comfortable grand tourer, and US models were by then usually equipped with the 4-speed automatic transmission and air conditioning. Manual transmission models came with the standard 4-speed or the optional ZF 5-speed, which was ordered only 882 times and thus is a highly sought-after original option today. In Europe, manual transmissions without air conditioning were still the predominant choice.

The main change was an upgrade to the 2,778 cc (2.8 L) M130 engine with 170 PS (125 kW; 168 hp) maximum power and 244 N⋅m maximum torque, which finally gave the W 113 adequate power. The performance improvement was achieved by increasing bore by 4.5 mm, which stretched the limits of the M180 block, and required pairwise cylinder casts without cooling water passages. This mandated an oil-cooler, which was fitted vertically next to the radiator. Each engine was now bench-tested for two hours prior to being fitted, so their power specification was guaranteed at last.

The M130 marked the final evolution of Mercedes-Benz’ venerable SOHC M180 inline-six, before it was superseded by the entirely new DOHC M110 inline-six introduced with R107 1974 European 280 SL models. For some time, it was also used in the W 109 300 S-Class, where it retired the expensive 3 liter M189 alloy inline-six.

The car’s 2.8L 6-cylinder multi-point fuel injection engines provide the capability to effortlessly reach a top speed of 200Km/h making this a perfect two-seater luxury sports touring convertible. This elegant piece of motoring in the elegant colour combination, “Midnight Blue” over a Brown leather interior, Brown soft-top and an optional removable hardtop.

This 280 SL with a 4-speed manual gearbox underwent a throughout frame-off restoration, including a complete overhaul of the engine recently and now only has driven 742 km after restoration. The front and rear axle as well as the gearbox and steering have been dismantled, repaired and all their parts detailed. The body has been completely repainted in the correct colour and polished.