Coys Auction - True Greats
Royal Horticultural Halls
Elverton St
Westminster
London SW1
Tuesday 7 December 2010
In March 1963, the new generation of SL sports cars was launched with the debut of the 230 SL at the Geneva Show. This revolutionary new model replaced the now aging 190 and the hugely expensive 300SL models. Mercedes engineering, together with elegance and practicality, made the ‘pagoda top’ SL one of the most elegand and distinctive designs of its era.. During the 1960s Mercedes-Benz refined the model, later fitting the 250 engine, and finally introduced the ultimate version, the 280SL. As today, Mercedes-Benz motor cars were never cheap, but superb build quality and sophisticated styling made the 280SL an extremely popular sports car with enthusiasts worldwide.
The example on offer here benefits from having the rare manual transmission, which arguably makes it more of a ‘driver’s car’. Originally delivered to the USA in 1971, it has since returned to the UK, where much wor