CLASSIC DRIVE: Long-Legged Mercedes-Benz 280SL "Pagoda"

We track done a very neat Mercedes-Benz 280SL that has been meticulously maintained its entire life, and which has a trick up its sleeve...

Words: Wilhelm Lutjeharms

Photos: Charles Russell

There are a number of very specific reasons why this car is very special. We started the afternoon outside Franschhoek, one of the best-known towns in South Africa’s Western Cape province by virtue of its fine wines, food and scenery. However, car enthusiasts will immediately remind you of the town’s serpentine mountain pass, which leads into the picturesque and quiet Overberg region. 

• Find a classic or new Mercedes-Benz SL to buy for yourself here.

When the owner of this solid white Pagoda (code 050 G) bought the car, he received the original four-speed manual transmission (neatly boxed) with the purchase. Why? The previous owner had fitted the car with a five-speed manual Getrag gearbox. It was a very welcome change, as I would soon find out.

The details

After driving the car for approximately three years, the current owner had the car refreshed. This included a full respray, a thorough detailing of the engine – which included painting some parts – and rejuvenating areas of the interior, such as the wood trim. The cabin’s carpet set (also redone) is perfect and the seats were retrimmed in the original material, so why wouldn’t you want to spend a few days in this environment appreciating the panoramic view from the cabin?

When I open the car’s bonnet, the well-presented motor and neat engine bay is an enormously pleasant sight. The simplicity of these early engines really lures you in to have a closer look. The camshaft cover with the two Mercedes-Benz emblems, the rubber and metal pipes, the three double-pipe intake manifold as well as all the other mechanical systems look immaculate. For the record, the car’s engine also has never been opened. I have a look at the odometer, and the it indicates 68 534 miles (110 300 km)… the overall condition of the car suggests that it could have come straight off the factory line only a handful of years ago.

“It has always been a beautiful car for me. When I was a little boy my father turned up at home one evening with a Pagoda, which belonged to a colleague of his. Since that day I’ve had a soft spot for this car”, says the owner.

From the driver’s side door pocket, the owner pulls out a number of the car’s booklets and documents. The cache of paperwork includes the owner’s manual and, more importantly, the car’s original information card. Between this card and the two plaques mounted in the engine bay, there is no detail missing about the exact specification of this car. More importantly, the Fahrgestell Nr., also called the Chassis number, of 113 044 20 008385 matches.

Of course, a car is only worth as much as someone is willing to pay for it. Even though these cars date from a little before my time, it is easy to appreciate their appeal and understand why Pagoda SLs are worth so much more now than they were a few years ago. Paul Bracq’s design is softly elegant; the lines are simple, but at the same time the car illustrates and exude true style from every angle.

Plus, “It really drives very similar to a modern car, and you can use it on different occasions and trips”, the owner opines. We stop at the top of the pass for a photo-opportunity before heading down the Winelands’ most evocative ribbon of asphalt. Soon thereafter, I switch seats with the owner. 

Behind the thin-rimmed wheel

The leather seats are comfortable, but I’m not really aware of them. Suffice to say they do a good job of ensconcing us. The steering wheel feels massive compared to those of modern Benzes, while the upright windscreen is also a stark contrast to the acutely raked windscreens of today’s sports cars. However, the solidity of the instruments is incomparable to contemporary cars’ plastic switchgear.

Turn the key and the engine catches quickly. Blip the throttle, and there is a notable, throaty sound that emanates from those twin exhaust pipes.

Apart from at parking speeds, the steering wheel turns with minimal effort. I pull away and immediately find it a joyous experience to shift gears manually. The thin, chromed gear lever with its black knob requires a decisive shift action between each gate. It is a mechanical action, but a solid and reassuring one.

For a near 60-year-old engine, the SL’s motor picks up revs eagerly as it passes 3 000 and 4 000 rpm. There is little use in pushing it past 5 000rpm, even though the original red line is only at 6 500 rpm, as there is more than sufficient torque from the engine to change gears before the red line.

The ride quality is good, and so is the road surface – an impeccable combination. I also don’t experience a lot of wind buffeting, partly because I couldn’t be bothered by wind intrusion while finessing a Pagoda’s tiller, but also because the car’s large and upright screen does a sterling job of minimising turbulence.

The view through the large windscreen is a pleasurable one… not only because of what you are driving, but the visual effect of that bonnet bulge. The engine lid features a long bulge running along the centre of the lid, followed by the fenders running from the headlights towards the rear – so classy and sophisticated!

Soon the landscape changes from the greener Winelands to the harvested wheat fields of the Overberg. It is on these long, high-speed open roads that I quickly realise that even in fifth gear, I can simply flex my right foot, and the Pagoda picks up speed; three figure marks are easily attainable!

I’m so impressed with this five-speed gearbox, it suits this car perfectly. As most enthusiasts and purists, I’m all for originality, be it the colour, specification, interior or drivetrain of a classic. However, in this instance, I understand why the owner has kept this gearbox in the car, and left the original on the shelf. Not only does it save the engine from running at higher revs – it’s more enjoyable to drive.

Verdict

Before this particular drive, I had only spent time in two other Pagodas, a Mechatronik conversion and a 280SL with an automatic transmission. Those were very different cars and undoubtedly two diverse approaches to Pagoda ownership, but then so is this one. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a driver’s car, because it is, after all, an SL: a car to be enjoyed with a passenger in the seat next to you, or with you behind the wheel while the sun sets somewhere on the horizon. However, the five-speed manual ‘box gives the car another dimension – a measure of interactivity and driving engagement. This delectable feature is so rare on newer Benzes, and modern cars in general…

Pagodas are now out of reach for most us, and the asking prices for R107 SLs have increased steadily during the past few years, but are now stable. Needless to say, following this drive I frantically searched the classifieds for R129 SLs, surely you won’t lose any money in the coming years if you purchase a well-maintained example now?

That is the effect the Pagoda had on me. The SL has never been, and will never be, the ultimate sports car, but it comes from a heritage of a car that is one of the most important and celebrated roadsters of all time.

Specifications: 

Model: Mercedes-Benz 280SL “Pagoda”

Engine: 2.8-litre, six-cylinder, petrol

Power: 125 kW at 5 750 rpm 

Torque: 240 Nm at 4 500 rpm 

Transmission: 5-speed manual, RWD

Weight: 1 360 kg

0-100 km/h: 9.0 seconds

Top Speed: 200 km/h