Mercedes-Benz 280 SL 'Pagoda'

**DEPOSIT TAKEN**

This Mercedes-Benz 280SL ‘Pagoda’ is an original UK-supplied, RHD car that has been in current ownership for over 8 years. It is a lovely unrestored example that has never sat dormant or been messed with; it has simply been used, maintained and well cared-for consistently over its 57-year life. The car has an extensive history file that - amazingly - includes the: original stamped service booklet, owner’s manual, catalog ‘B’ with data card, Bosch supplement, and service parts brochure. It also includes countless invoices for parts and labour dating back to 1983. It’s clear that every owner has strived to keep this Pagoda in fine fettle.  Interestingly, the registration number ‘GWC 1H’ was originally on the Ford Cortina 1600E given to England captain Bobby Moore for the 1970 World Cup, it was transferred onto the Pagoda in the 1984 and will stay with the car.

Our Pagoda was originally supplied by Mercedes-Benz (Great Britain) Ltd in Brentford and was registered as CGY 768H on 29th September 1969. The car was specified by its first owner, Mr Piercy, in Grey Blue Met. (906) with Dark Blue MB Tex (since re-trimmed in leather) with Graphite Grey Carpets (115) and a Dark Blue Softtop (744). Other extras included: Tinted Glass with Top-tint Windscreen (598), Hardtop with Garnish Mouldings (600), and Whitewall Tyres (641). The car remained with its first owner in Sutton for 12 years before moving to South London in 1981. The car changed hands again in 1983 when it was purchased by Mr Creamer of Bromley. It was in that year, at 84,000 miles, that the car had a substantial amount of work carried out: a full engine rebuild with new crankshaft, pistons, oil pump, and timing chain; alternator and starter motor overhauled; new shock absorbers all round; and a full, bare-metal respray with new hood. To top it off, the reg number ‘GWC 1H’ was assigned to the car. The owner requested for the odometer to be zero-ed after the engine rebuild and, today, it shows just 35,500 miles since this work. 

The Pagoda changed hands again and moved to Central London in 1987, it stayed in London for another 10 years before being found and purchased at a Mercedes specialist in Putney by Mr Wheldon of Leeds. Mr Wheldon went on to own the car for over 21 years and invested heavily into the car over this period. The MB-Tex seats were re-trimmed in leather with a ‘kinder’ seat also trimmed and fitted in the rear, the car was fully repainted in Silver Metallic by Mercedes Huddersfield, a new hood was fitted, the cylinder head was rebuilt and converted for use with unleaded fuel and fabrication work was carried out. These are only a few of the invoices in the huge history folder that perfectly documents the last 43 years of the car’s life.

In 2018, the Pagoda went back to the very specialist it was purchased from in 1997 to be sold again. It was then bought by its current owner, who had been searching for an unrestored example for a while. He has since used the car sparingly, with a keen interest in improving and maintaining it, completing just under 3,000 miles in 8 years. In 2020, a Becker Europa II Radio from Chrome London was fitted to revert the dashboard a period-correct look. In August 2021, the car went to a Mercedes-Benz specialist where a full service was carried out, the cross-member was repaired and bulkhead wiring loom grommets were replaced. In March 2025, the hardtop seals were replaced with new items and full greasing was carried out. In August 2025, a Mercedes-Benz specialist replaced the fuel filter housing seals, coolant hoses, spark plugs, air filter, stripped and cleaned the throttle housing and adjusted the fueling.

Today, the car is presented in very good condition; it’s clear that it has never been stripped apart or left to rot and therefore retains a lot of its original character and features. As you’d expect with an unrestored, 50+ year old classic, there are some minor marks around it. The paint and bodywork is of a very high quality, the surfaces are even and smooth and the sides of the car are completely free of ripples or dull spots, a testament to the Mercedes bodyshops of the 90s. The body is free of dents and bubbles, the only scratch we have found is on the RHS of the bonnet and near the hardtop locating holes. The hardtop has a few small blisters in the middle of the paintwork, but we are told that these have not progressed in the last 8 years. The Dark Blue mohair hood is in good condition overall with a small hole above the passenger door glass, and one spot of wear below the rear window in the centre. The brightwork is rust-free but has some light pitting in areas and the rear quarter bumpers are faded on the top surfaces. The only sign of the original Grey Blue paint is behind the bulkhead insulation and where some paint has chipped away in the engine bay. Otherwise, you’d be hard pressed to tell it has been changed. 

The underside of the car is also very clean with a thin layer of protection no signs of oil leaks or rusty components. As with the majority of cars from this era, the underside has been previously repaired and there is evidence of two small, localised patch repairs on the floors (photos can be sent on request). These repairs are not close to any structural or mounting points and we do not believe they are hiding anything sinister. They are just typical, local repairs from the period. The interior has been very well kept with very little wear or age showing, the chrome is all good with some light pitting in places, the gauges are clear and the leather has no holes or major creasing/discolouration. The headlinings in both the soft and hard tops are also in very good, original condition.

As you’d expect from a car with a service history like this, it drives perfectly with no unwanted noises or sensations. The engine starts up readily with no smoke and runs smoothly through the gears. We simply cannot fault the way it drives, it’s comfortable, quiet and feels rock solid, as any good Mercedes-Benz should. More often than not, we find that cars in this condition drive much sweeter than their fully-restored counter-parts, especially with classic Mercedes. Everything has had time to bed in and there are no cheap reproduction parts used in the drivetrain or suspension. Overall, this is a lovely example that is ready to be used and enjoyed.

The car is based at our studio in Bicester, please contact Greg with any questions, or to arrange a viewing.