1969 Mercedes-Benz

280SL Roadster

Specifications

Configuration: Front engine, rear-wheel drive

Engine: 2,778 cc OHC inline 6-cylinder engine

Horsepower: 180 hp

Transmission: 4-speed automatic

A Little History

The Mercedes-Benz W113, which included models 230SL, 250SL and the 280SL, was introduced at the 1963 Geneva Motor Show.The lead designers were Paul Bracq and Béla Barényi, who created its optional distinctive, patented, slightly concave hardtop, which inspired the “Pagoda” nickname.Beyond the larger engine of its predecessor 190SL, the W113 was also the first Mercedes-Benz to feature an automatic transmission on a sporting automobile and offer a simple fluid coupling instead of a torque converter.

The DesignThe 280SL configuration introduced the new M130 engine with 2,778 cubic centimeters and 180 horsepower. The M130 marked the final evolution in Mercedes-Benz’s venerable SOHC M180 inline-six.

Did You Know?In March 2008, London’s Daily Telegraph named the 280SL as one of “The 100 Most Beautiful Cars of All Time.”

Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson described the 280SL as one of the cars from the 1960s that has stood the test of time, being “from a time when Mercedes was still building its cars properly.”