Why again?

[Cees Klumper]

It seems I have come full circle, because the family and I recently moved to Geneva. It was here, in 1992, while visiting this city on vacation, I saw a Pagoda parked on the side of the road near a cafe terrace looking irresistibly elegant. I think that moment pushed me over the 'One day I just have to get one' edge.

Was there a similar event that did it for you? Or was the choice less clear? Was the car in the family, or someone down the road owned one when you were groing up? Inquiring minds want to know! Some of these stories are of course in the 'Hi, I am a new member here' section, but perhaps it would be nice to bundle those 'why did I get into this in the first place' stories here.

[MichaelB.]

I was in 7th grade. My family just moved to a new area. There were loads of kids and I became fast friends with many. One of the kids that I befriended had moved here from Germany. His parents had a Pagoda in Germany and raved about it to both of us often. We would sit and look at photos from the "old world" and the Pagoda was always somewhere in the background of nearly each photo. I recall the Mother describing the Pagoda roof line in detail as the father looked on smiling. He always promised her that he would get her back in one.

Many years later I lost touch with the kid (went to collage away) but still would see the parents around town on occasion. I always kept the memory of the SL in my head (I was/am a huge car guy) when I would see them. I saw the Mother at a post office once and said hello. I was in my 1973 230C and she remarked on it. I showed her some photos in my wallet of my 190SL at the time but she had little interest. I told her it was nice seeing her and then went years again without running into the family.

Then I happened onto my 1966 230 SL. It was near perfect & I luved just driving around in it most any evening. I made a point to drive over to the childhood home to stop in and say hello to the old neighborhood one summer eve. As I drove by this German boys home I could see the Mother in the kitchen window. I pulled into the drive & rung the door bell. She came to the door but did not recognise me right off. I re-introduced myself and asked how the family had been. The Father had passed but the children were now all family men and were flourishing. After a bit I told her that I had her in mind about something so I asked her to come out to the driveway and see what I was driving. She was all smiles as she came around the corner to see the Pagoda. She walked over to it and felt the seat with one hand while standing aside and drifted away in thought with a smile as she gazed at the other details. She teared up when she opened the door and sat in the seat. She must have sat there for half of an hour before she apologized and stepped back out. She looked me straight in the eye and told me "thank you" for letting her return to her youth for even just a few minutes. Then she wished me farewell as I drove down the street. The chance of me remembering her stories then seeing her again years later were remote but powerful. I really enjoyed the reunion and I was sure she did too.

These cars do have a place in many peoples hearts. And I am happy to have one in mine as well.

[gzmavian]

My first visual appreciation of the Pagoda was as a high school student growing up in a Detroit suburb in the late 1960's.  The Motor City was an exciting place to grow up as a teenager considering the dominance and raw power of the of the auto industry and muscle cars.  My father was an automotive designer at Ford Motor Company and I was in the heart of it all.  But then it happened.  A beautiful beige Pagoda with brown soft top cruised by.   The owner lived in the vicinity but I saw this car infrequently.  However, when the occasion to see this car come down the road occurred, I would be mesmerized watching it.  At the time I may have been seventeen years of age but looking back certainly precocious in recognizing the beauty and timeless design of what has become a classic icon.  I am fortunate to have the opportunity to now own my Pagoda and live the romance.

[Andres G]

Ok, this is my story... bear with me please.

I was born in Argentina in the mid 70's, and by around 1982 I was in full awarenes of the automobile and what I liked and disliked about them. Unfortunately, 1982 was the last year during which importing cars to our country was permitted for over 10 years. I grew up seeing aging masterpieces from germany and japan outlast the locally manufactured Fords, Renaults, Fiats and Volkswagens... so the sight of a diplomatic plate Mercedes or BMW attracted much of my attention.

There was a catch to this however. The law preventing vehicle imports had some exceptions, for example people with disabilities were allowed to import cars without paying taxes (but had to keep them for at least 2 years before selling them), as well as diplomats and argentine citizens that had resided outside the country for over 12 months... you can see where I'm going. Movie stars and glamorous celebrities worked around these "rules" and were sometimes seen driving gorgeous MBs... the one that struck me most, was the W107 driven by our local version of Italian "Rafaela Carra"... her name is Susana Gimenez and for an 18 year old boy, she was as beautiful as Marylin Monroe.

It was only a matter of time until I was able to get my hands on a W107, which I drove as my daily driver for over 3 years. I was the most popular 26 year old in my university thanks to that car. Unfortunately, I had to move on, not without promising myself to get another one someday. When I started looking for an euro W107 here in the US about two years ago, I realized by comparing it to the W113 how beautiful it's lines and simplicity were when compared to the latter model... so I fell in love again and waited over a year to finally get one.

Salud!
Andres

[awolff280sl]

I grew up in New York City and the boys were always spotting plenty of cool cars on the streets. Our favorites of the time were the stingray, the BMW CS coupe, and the MB SL. (Who knows who coined the name "Pagoda"?) My favorite was the MB, I think because of all of the glass. For the early '70s, the SL looked "futuristic" (remember the Avanti?), while the other two were "just" sports cars. It just appealed to me more at that age. I knew nothing about its performance. My Dad knew I was saving up for the car but beat me to it when he bought it for me when I graduated med school. Maybe because he knew it would be a daily driver, it was already pretty rusty at 11 years old when he bought it, $8000. I had no hesitation driving it to hospitals in pretty bad neighborhoods and there was never any vandalism. I drove it pretty hard through hundreds of potholes, it was a workhorse for me. (I remember doing 70mph down the West Side Hwy when I hit a big pothole. Shortly thereafter, the engine overheated and I got towed. Turns out the oil pan was so badly hit that I lost all my oil.) I never paid for a garage, the car sept on the street. Maybe because it looked somewhat beat up, maybe because it was New York, and maybe because its "understated elegance" was not as appreciated in those days, I never felt that it stood out.
When I finished my training in 1987, I drove the car to Florida and soon garaged it for 18 years straight when it became too unreliable to drive daily. Now that I restored it, it drives great and is alot of fun, but it's pampered, I'm self-conscious driving it, and I'm uptight about where I park.   

[Drewtee]

Some fantastic stories,  please keep them coming.  Michael B- Yours actually brought a tear to my eye 

[w113dude]

I told Michale's story to my family on our way to next town in the car, my two boys 14 and 11 and my wife, I could not complete the story without my voice breaking up, I was very touched.

Nicely written, Well done!

[dtuttle123]

In 1975 I was finishing up my Junior year at college, and one of my fraternity brothers would occasionally borrow his mother's 1970 white 280SL, with a red leather interior, and we would drive through campus with the roof down, and in a low gear (to make more noise).  I said to him at that time "we could be the ugliest guys on campus, but we will still attract girls in this car", which we of course did.  I always remembered that car, how it looked, and how it made me feel.  It would be years later before I had both the time and resources to consider buying a classic SL.  3 years ago, I started looking, but not seriously, and 'fell' into a deal.  Initially I thought that I was just recapturing my youth, but quickly I found that owning the car was about 'problem solving', the elusive hunt for parts worldwide, and some really great guys willing to share their knowledge and time to help.

In November of this year, I got together with my fraternity brother, and he still has the white 280SL that he inherited from his mother, and we put the top down, and cruised around the neighborhood (in low gear).  I recounted the story of college days, and my statement about 'attracting girls with the car', when we passed a very nice looking jogger, who gave us a big smile and a wave....yeah, we are still very cool!

[MichaelB.]

Cool Doug,

And thanks guys. I am certain that you all would have done the same if you had the opportunity.

[abe280SL]

Ten years old in 1969 a friend of my fathers son in law had a red one in the garage....wow it was beautiful!
Well, 20 years ago I finally bought a red one too...
abe

[Jim Donati]

It was 1969 and I had just turned 16 and received my first drivers license.  After seeing an occasional Pagoda SL on the streets of Santa Barbara for the last few years, I really fell in love with this classy little Mercedes-Benz sports car.  

Working part time over summer vacations I had saved about $1,500 to buy my first car.  I soon came the the realization I may not have sufficient funds to buy the Mercedes as my first car.  I remember talking to my father one day before I bought another car, and told him I really wished I could buy the Mercedes-Benz 280SL but was unsure if I could actually pull off such a risky transaction.  He did not laugh at me or make me feel silly for wanting something that seemed so outrageous.   Instead he simply said "If you are willing to work hard enough and make the necessary sacrifices, you can buy the car you want, even if it is a Mercedes-Benz.    

I did not by the Pagoda that year, but the response and insight I received from my father in that short 15 minute talk made quite an impression on me and I never forgot it.  I also never forgot the Pagoda SL's and my desire to own one never went away.    Earlier this year, with money in the bank, I finally found the time to search out and buy a 1970 280SL.    

On Fathers day this year, shortly after buying my Pagoda SL, I took my dad for a ride in the Pagoda and told him how I had never forgotten a conversation we had 40 years ago and how instrumental he was in this recent purchase.  I reminded him of our conversation and recapped the advice he gave me at age 16.  I thanked him for the words of wisdom he left me with and told him I was able to use his advice several time over the last 4 decades.  

Thanks Dad!  

 

[thelews]

After buying an awful 1971 Cadillac Coupe deVille in brown and somehow managing to dump it on my dad, my mother bought a 1971 280 SL, signal red/black tex/black hardtop in 1972.  I always liked the car, reminded me of the really high quality Schuco toys I used to get as a kid from Germany.  I was a freshman in college and when home in the summers, would often take the 280 SL out for a spin.  It had such a mechanical feel to it, busy, but well engineered.  All of this in a gorgeous package, especially from the viewpoint of the driver looking over that curvy hood past the dashboard; a magnificent blend of tex, chrome and body color.  My mother had that car as her daily driver (really quite good in the snow) for 17 years until it rusted beyond repair (at that time).  She had three 107s after that, but it was never the same.

In 2005, when I pursued my vintage car hobby with a 190 SL, I decided if I ever had the opportunity to pick up a nice 280 SL, I would.  However, remembering the automatic transmission in my mother's car, I insisted any 280 SL I got would have to be a stick.  In Dec. 2007, the 250 SL I now own became available, signal red/caviar tex/red hardtop.  I jumped on the opportunity.  The car was delivered and put in my garage just as we got our first snow for the season.  As my mother and I sat in the car, reminiscing about all the fine times with her all time favorite car and both of us feeling 25 years younger for a fleeting moment, we couldn't both help but feel something was different.  Somehow, this car seemed finer, the seats different, the chrome more plentiful, the doors more crafted.  We then noticed the missing bumper guards and missing side reflectors.  My subsequent research educated me that I had unknowingly purchased the last of the early cosmetics 113s with the mechanical improvements of the 280 SL.  Oftentimes memories of events, people or things past are seldom matched by the reality of seeing them again.  How lucky I am to have the memory of my mother's long ago 280 SL made even better by the reality of the 250 SL that sits in the garage today.

  

[France]

Hi Guys,

I grew up iaround San Francisco, and my best friend was a very fortunate child.  When we were in high school she had a Series I E-type (British Racing Green) that we tore around town in.  She also had a 1956 porthole T-Bird, and her father had an early 60s SL.  That's when I fell in love.  When I became self-sufficient enough to buy my own classic, the car that had caught my eye by that time was the BMW 635Csi I saw in the first episode of Moonlighting (Bruce Willis in a Bronzit beauty).  I had to have one...or two...or three.  Then I came to my senses, chucked the Beemers, and boght the proper car that I had fallen in love with originally.  Carling is a daily driver when I'm in Florida.  She has some tiny dents and imperfections.  Even so, llike Andy I am careful where I park...although she is an eBay find, everything is in working order.  She really cruises with her 3.27 axle, which the SL Market Letter says is the best, and I can confirm that.

Merry Christmas to all!

 

[Raymond]

Why?  Because of 1968.

It was early 1968 and I was 14.  I was waiting to cross a street in downtown Jacksonville when I saw a new, white, SL turn left and pass in front of me.  I thought that was the coolest car.  I told my mother I would have one someday.  Thereafter, throughout my life, every time I saw a Pagoda, I'd say, "There goes my car!"  Yet, I never did anything about buying one.

Then in early 2003 I was having lunch with a friend who was reminiscing about his escape from Communist Czechoslovakia in 1968.  He told of his brother, his best friend, and him crashing through a roadblock and being shot at as they escaped into Germany.  He told me that he had visited the friend in Germany many times since, but the friend had never made time to come to the U.S.  His friend was then dying of cancer and lamented, "How I wish I had gone to Florida, just once."  That story hit me right in the heart.  I was 49.  In that moment,  I vowed I was not going to let another moment pass without fulfilling my dream.  I set about it and bought my car within 6 weeks. 

It was the story of a man who took desperate measures to gain his freedom and then let his life pass without fulfilling a dream within his grasp, that made me realize the mandate of Carpe Diem.  Now, there is not a time I drive my 1968 white SL that I am not truly grateful for my freedom, my friends, and the memories of 1968.

[dtuttle123]

These are powerful stories!  No wonder there is such a strong emotional attachment!!  Keep them coming!

[J. Huber]

In the late 70s, at the urging of my brother-in-law who had a 450SL, my Dad, my older brother John and said brother-in-law all decided to get 113s. Just like that they were on the hunt for 3 of our beloved "Pagodas!" I was only 17 but remember it pretty well. Two of them found cars right in Santa Barbara but my Dad wanted an automatic so my Mom could drive it. We ended up going down to Hollywood and found a white 63. The others were both brown 230SLs -- a 66 and not sure of other one. Ironically, theirs were in considerably better shape than "mine" but they only kept them a couple years. My dad poured quite a bit of money into resurrecting the 63 and making it road worthy. I was in High School and remember the first time he let me drive it. I recall thinking how totally cool it was -- that big old steering wheel, the colorful gauges, and that neat curve of the hood. It was no secret I loved the car and constantly was asking to drive it. When I went off to college, they let me take it -- and "officially" gave it to me for graduation. 30 years later, I still get a thrill holding that steering wheel! (even if my hornpad ain't original) 

[PnHi]

In the mid 70's young and newly married I saw a beige 113 in BelAir MD in a shopping center parking lot.  Always prone to muscle cars, ( driving a 64 GTO at the time ) I spent a good bit of time walking around the car admiring it's looks and never forgot it.
Fast forward to 1998.  I am a construction project manager for the largest restaurant chain in the world and was in a meeting with a franchisee going over the schedule for a new store I would be building for him in Lebanon PA.  We had a receptionist named Mercedes and she stopped by to say hello.  When she had left the meeting, my client mentioned that he had a Mercedes, one of many it turned out, and he had consigned it to a dealer ship four years earlier to make room in the garage for a new Porsche and had forgotten about it until he had received a recent phone call asking if he wanted to sell it for $1,000.  His original asking price was $18k.  I asked what model and when he told me the year I immediately offered him $2,000.  He told me to take a look at it and If I still wanted it... it was a deal.  My boss at the time was an MG owner and he and I made a special trip the next day to look at the car.  Turns out it had been dropped off seven years earlier and was eventually towed to the back part of the lot where it was forgotten until that phone call with an offer to buy.  With a battery and a quick turn of the keys, still in the ignition, the engine turned over and my son and I dolly-ed it home the following weekend.  The rest , as they say, is history.  We drained sixteen gallons of rancid gas from the tank during the tear down.

Mike C
Aberdeen MD

[MichaelB.]

...my client mentioned that he had a Mercedes, one of many it turned out, and he had consigned it to a dealership four years earlier to make room in the garage for a new Porsche and had forgotten about it until he had received a recent phone call asking if he wanted to sell it for $1,000...  

Holy Moly! Crazy world.

[PnHi]

Holy Moly! Crazy world.

We still talk occasionally and he always asks about "his car".

[Iconic]

(I want to say this up front before I start my story. Thank you to all that have helped and all contributors to this Website. Without you, I would not have had the pleasure of driving our Pagoda 700 or 800 miles this past season.)
My story:
It's all about my Dad. My father was killed in 1996 (on Father's Day ... for real) at the hands of a drunk driver.
My Dad was a great driver, so this drunk guy must have really surprised him. The drunk driver had three times the legal alcohol limit in him, and the police said he should have been lying on the sidewalk, not able to drive. He spent 7 years in jail and now he has been out for a while. My Dad is obviously still gone. OK, enough of that.
My Dad started buying Mercedes in the 50's. They were his daily drivers and he never had extra "hobby" cars like I do. In the early sixties, if we saw another Mercedes on the road, we would actually pull over and talk with them. Did anyone else experience this in the US? I was pretty young, so I don't know if it happened once or every time we saw another Mercedes. Sorry for the ramble. My Dad was not an extremely wealthy man, but he was very comfortable. I believe owning these cars was right at his economic limit. In fact, in the 1973, 74, 75 time frame something happened with the relative value between the Deutsch Mark and the US Dollar, and the prices of the MB cars in the US skyrocketed (from the memory of a 14 year old). Due to this price change, his 1973 280 SEL 4.5 was his last Mercedes. This was the car I drove a lot when I first learned to drive. What a machine. It will stand alone in my memory. I can remember the feel of the brakes, accelerator, the wheel, the power window switches, all like it was yesterday. My Dad would go away on business and I would take him to the airport and have full use of his car when he was gone. There were many, many good times/road trips in the car with my father and without my father.. See, it is all about my father. His parents both lived until their late 90's. I expected to have him around for most of my life. I was very close with him and I miss him. That is where my SL comes in. One of my dear friends (of 15 years) knew my respect/love for Pagodas. To make a very long story shorter, he had a friend of a friend who had one sitting in a garage, originally purchased new by her parents, hasn't run in 3 years, she was then ready to part with it ..my friend asked me if I wanted to see it .. you know the general story. I already had 2 "hobby" cars, so it is a strain for me and my family to digest a third. I've never owned any Mercedes before this. I don't want to sell either of the other cars because one is my first car and the other is just too nice and I would always regret getting rid of it. Back to the SL..., I sat in the car, and it connected me with my father unlike anything had done for years. Our one year anniversary with the Pagoda is coming up in February. It has been a great year. In case you couldn't tell, I'm still having a hard time with my father's death. I believe the car is helping me heal. I believe writing this down on "paper" is helping me heal. I might never heal, but when I get in the Pagoda, it makes me feel good, brings back many great memories, and I think of my Dad.

[john.mancini]

I was a teenager, riding in the back of a school bus, when I first noticed a beautiful bright red Pagoda, following behind. It wasn't until many years later, after having owned many different classic cars, that I spotted a Pagoda, evoking memories of that school bus ride, and the rest is history. The Pagodas are the best of the best.
John

[MichaelB.]

Iconic

Great Dad story. Super that your continuing the Mercedes motoring tradition, I would bet he would be very proud.