250SL at SF Auto Show

[DavidAPease]

Hi, everyone,

I was at the San Francisco Auto Show yesterday, and as I approached the Mercedes-Benz section I thought I saw a familiar silhouette. In a small, cordoned-off space was a beautiful 250SL with the hardtop fitted! It was a Euro model in a color that I used to call champagne green (when I had a '73 450SE in it), but I think may have really been called something like moss green metallic.  

The interior was white or off-white, and looked as good as the exterior, which could have just rolled off the factory floor. (The only jarring note was a 280-style cigarette lighter knob amongst the early 230-style dash and radio knobs--a really obvious but all-too-common error for such a nice nice car.)

I didn't have a camera with me (probably silly at a car show). I wonder if anyone here knows this car?

-David Pease
'66 French 230SL

[Jonny B]

Was it titled/licensed as a private owner? I think the Classic Center in Irvine has one like this.

Jonny B
1967 250SL Auto

[DaveB]

Sounds like the '67 250SL formerly owned by Peter Gick in LA. He bought a nice rust-free car and restored it to a high level (for example the fresh air vents were dismantled and rechromed including all the individual vanes). Peter's car was auto - same? He said the colour was MB but not an original W113 option. From memory the original car cost around $16k, the restoration around $40k, and the car sold for about $35k on ebay a couple of years ago.

DaveB

[DavidAPease]

Hi, Johnny and Dave,

Thanks for the info!

Johnny: I don't remember seeing a license plate on the rear of the car, and the front had a  faux-German plate ("67 250SL").  I'd probably have noticed at least what state it was registered in if it had had a plate.

Dave: Great memory!  I went back and found the thread from two years ago on Peter's car, and it was an automatic, early 250SL, in this color.  (I even commented on the wrong cigarette lighter back then, though I'd long-since forgotten that!)  

So, I'm sure that this was Peter's car, probably now in the possession of the Classic Center.  It was fun to see it in person.

-David Pease
'66 French 230SL

[hauser]

It sounds like the right car to me.  I followed that car during both its ebay auctions.  It was sold on ebay not too long ago and purchased by the Classic Center.

The color is called Thistle Green.

1969 280sl 5 spd
Gainesville, Fl.

[AGT]

David

I think that this very car is pictured second from the right on our home page. There was a post about a year back which gave the history of each of the cars in that picture which I can't find or I would have bumped it up.

Regards
Andrew

[DavidAPease]

Andrew,

Thanks, I believe you're right.  If I remember correctly, this photo was taken at an early group get-together in L.A. at Bob Geco's shop(?). Small (Pagoda) world!

-David Pease
'66 French 230SL