1964 Mercedes-Benz 230SL

The 'Sport Leicht' or SL was both a homologation car for racing and a sports car for the public. Built in the same vein as the 680S, SS, SSK and 500K/540K cars, the SL line were flagship models designed to carry the company competitively within each model range. Initially introduced as a concept, production later commenced as the 300SL and Gullwing, as well as the 190SL. Known as the 'Pagoda' (or W113), they were comfortable tourers with a sporting persona, durability, reliability, and a luxurious interior. They were the first sports car with a 'safety body' with a rigid passenger cell and designated crumple zones with impact-absorbing sections built into the vehicle structure.

The 230 SL was introduced in 1963 as a replacement for the underpowered 190SL and outfitted with some of the new manufacturing techniques being adopted in the emerging S Class. Production commenced in June of 1963 and continued through January of 1967, helping to bring Mercedes-Benz into a new age. The Paul Bracq designed 230SL wore modern styling in an upright fashion with an elongated profile line from front to rear. The styling was elegant and clean that accommodated easy ingress and egress. The fuel-injected 6-cylinder M127.II engine displaced 2,308cc and had four main bearings, mechanical Bosch multi-port fuel injection, and produced 148 horsepower and 145 lb-ft of torque. A four-speed manual was standard while the fluid coupled four-speed automatic transmission was optional. An optional ZF S5-20 five-speed manual transmission became available in May of 1966. The chassis was based on the W 111 sedan platform that had been shorted by 11.8-inches. The suspension had double wishbones in the front and an independent single-joint, low-pivot swing rear-axle with a transverse compensator spring. Steering was handled by a recirculating ball system with power steering being optional.

The W113 evolved later into the 250SL and 280SL, and both were equipped with fuel-injected engines. The 250SL had a 2.5-liter engine while the 280SL had a 2.8-liter unit with 170 horsepower and a useful increase in torque. All had similar appearances with a wide stance, a low waistline, large curved greenhouse windows, fish bowl headlamps, and a distinctive dished hardtop, giving rise to its now universally adopted 'Pagoda ' nickname.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2021