280SL Emblem Location on Rear of Trunk Lid

[Cole]

Hi,

I was told today that the "280SL" trunk emblem on my '69 280SL is attached too high. I then looked at other 280SLs online that had the emblem in a lower position.
I looked at the inside of my trunk to see where the emblem was attached. There is metal paneling along there with two access holes and I can feel the nuts attached to the emblem inside those two holes. But I didn't see two factory holes lower down in the correct position where the emblem would attach. There is just one larger, clean hole in the middle of the lower position.
Is that single hole where the emblem attaches instead of with two holes?
Probably unlikely, but was there a difference in how this was done for an earlier 280SL?
Can anyone explain how the emblem is supposed to be attached in that lower position?

Thanks!

[dirkbalter]

Cole,
Is yours an automatic and had the auto sign underneath originally?

[Cole]

Hi Dirk,

Interesting point. The car is an automatic, but when I bought it in 2019 there was no "Automatic" below the "280SL" emblem.
Do you or anyone know if they included the "Automatic" label on a '69?
Does that single hole in the lower position indicate that the automatic label was attached there?

Thanks.

[dirkbalter]

This is where my auto sign is. AFAIK there were no real rules on these. Some had it, some had it on the right sight in line with the 2x0SL sign. If I find it, I send you the hole location for the emblems. It was discussed here before.

[Jonny B]

The "automatic" sign was mainly used for Euro cars where the automatic was a rarer option. Cars delivered to the US would not have had the additional emblem.

Can't speak to the single hole, but would be doubtful that a name as long as "Automatic" would use only one connection tab.

[dirkbalter]

Automatic requires 3 holes.

[Cole]

I appreciate your points, guys.
So it sounds like the "Automatiic" was not there, but there are --not-- two factory holes in the lower position to insert bolts through to attach the emblem. Shouldn't they be there?
I'd be curious to see this area on a '70 or '71.

Also, Dirk, you mentioned about a prior article on this. Do you have a link for it?

Thanks!

[BobH]

Do these help?

https://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=19044

https://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=19702.msg138987#msg138987

[MikeSimon]

To summarize all the discussions: U.S. spec cars: no Automatic emblem. If emblem, then on the left below the "model" emblem.

[rwmastel]

... to insert bolts through to attach the emblem ...

Cole,

Bolts?  My '230SL' and 'Automatic' emblems (Italian car) have simple posts that protrude through the trunk lid, and there are little clips (two for the 230SL, three for the Automatic) that hold the posts tight to the trunk lid.  No bolts, nuts.

The links posted above do show where official location should be, in detail, if you want it fixed.  Perhaps your trunk lid was replaced or repaired and a body shop guy "guessed" on the location.

[Raymond]

If the car was re-painted, it's possible they filled the original holes during the repair.