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Details
1965 MERCEDES-BENZ 230SL ROADSTER WITH HARDTOP
Registration No. EHY 362C
Chassis No.11304220007910
Engine No.12798120006579
White with black interior and black soft- and hard-top
Engine: six cylinders in-line single overhead camshaft, 2,281cc, Bosch twin-point fuel injection, 150 bhp at 5,600 rpm; Gearbox: four-speed manual with synchromesh; Suspension: front independent by wishbones and coil springs, rear, independent low pivot swing axle with coil springs; Brakes: power-assisted, disc front, drum rear. Right hand drive.
The SL's second generation was unveiled at the Geneva Salon of March 1963, a month after production of the 190 had ceased. Seeking to encompass and augment the best attributes of both the 300 and the 190, the 230 was an altogether softer prospect, providing luxury and comfort wrapped in crisp, angular yet elegant coachwork. Many felt that the new car suffered from a lack of power, however any accusation that the SL had lost its spirit was met by Eugene Bohringer's victory in the 1963 Spa-Sofia-Liège Rally.
There was a great allure to the new design, with Mercedes continuing to impress both mechanically and aesthetically. An ingenious low-pivot swing-axle suspension made it possible to provide a more subtle ride yet retain high cornering power, and this, coupled with responsive steering and a top speed of 125mph, endowed the 230SL with a reputation for rapid and nimble handling. Customers were offered the unusual choice of coupé with removable hard-top, convertible, or coupé convertible where the soft- and hard-tops were supplied together, making the little sports tourer an eminently practical prospect. It was also a highly individual prospect; Mercedes treated the hard-top to a transverse roofline that was slightly concave, ingeniously allowing plenty of headroom for the occupants while retaining clean and low silhouettes. The instantly recognisable shape was quickly christened the "Pagoda", and set the tone for all SLs until the release of the fourth generation in 1989.
The 230SL we offer today is an unusually fine example. Supplied new in 1965 as an original right-hand drive car, its four speed manual gearbox makes it more engaging (as well as slightly quicker) than its automatic sibling. Under the care of its first owner for eight years, it then passed to a Mrs. Dangerfield, from whom a typed note exists confirming a total mileage of 67,000 miles at the time of the sale. After Mrs. Dangerfield, the third owner kept the car for 18 years and yet covered a mere 1,400 miles. It was then that the car was bought and submitted to a two-year, bare-metal restoration which included re-fitting the black leather interior and replacing the black mohair hood as well as re-chroming and powder-coating all relevant parts. Now close to concours standard and showing just 82,000 miles, the car displays many original features often lost in restoration, even down to the correct heavy-twill carpets. It is sold with an illustration file thoroughly detailing the restoration work, and a number of invoices and ephemera cataloguing its earlier history, as well as its original (and unrestored) black hard-top and a tax disc and MoT certificate valid until September 2006.
Registration No. EHY 362C
Chassis No.11304220007910
Engine No.12798120006579
White with black interior and black soft- and hard-top
Engine: six cylinders in-line single overhead camshaft, 2,281cc, Bosch twin-point fuel injection, 150 bhp at 5,600 rpm; Gearbox: four-speed manual with synchromesh; Suspension: front independent by wishbones and coil springs, rear, independent low pivot swing axle with coil springs; Brakes: power-assisted, disc front, drum rear. Right hand drive.
The SL's second generation was unveiled at the Geneva Salon of March 1963, a month after production of the 190 had ceased. Seeking to encompass and augment the best attributes of both the 300 and the 190, the 230 was an altogether softer prospect, providing luxury and comfort wrapped in crisp, angular yet elegant coachwork. Many felt that the new car suffered from a lack of power, however any accusation that the SL had lost its spirit was met by Eugene Bohringer's victory in the 1963 Spa-Sofia-Liège Rally.
There was a great allure to the new design, with Mercedes continuing to impress both mechanically and aesthetically. An ingenious low-pivot swing-axle suspension made it possible to provide a more subtle ride yet retain high cornering power, and this, coupled with responsive steering and a top speed of 125mph, endowed the 230SL with a reputation for rapid and nimble handling. Customers were offered the unusual choice of coupé with removable hard-top, convertible, or coupé convertible where the soft- and hard-tops were supplied together, making the little sports tourer an eminently practical prospect. It was also a highly individual prospect; Mercedes treated the hard-top to a transverse roofline that was slightly concave, ingeniously allowing plenty of headroom for the occupants while retaining clean and low silhouettes. The instantly recognisable shape was quickly christened the "Pagoda", and set the tone for all SLs until the release of the fourth generation in 1989.
The 230SL we offer today is an unusually fine example. Supplied new in 1965 as an original right-hand drive car, its four speed manual gearbox makes it more engaging (as well as slightly quicker) than its automatic sibling. Under the care of its first owner for eight years, it then passed to a Mrs. Dangerfield, from whom a typed note exists confirming a total mileage of 67,000 miles at the time of the sale. After Mrs. Dangerfield, the third owner kept the car for 18 years and yet covered a mere 1,400 miles. It was then that the car was bought and submitted to a two-year, bare-metal restoration which included re-fitting the black leather interior and replacing the black mohair hood as well as re-chroming and powder-coating all relevant parts. Now close to concours standard and showing just 82,000 miles, the car displays many original features often lost in restoration, even down to the correct heavy-twill carpets. It is sold with an illustration file thoroughly detailing the restoration work, and a number of invoices and ephemera cataloguing its earlier history, as well as its original (and unrestored) black hard-top and a tax disc and MoT certificate valid until September 2006.
Special notice
No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium, which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.