Rarity of a 250SL

[n/a]

Good morning. As a new member, I'm a little bit stupid about these automobiles. I just recently aquired my 1967 250SL. I had a restoration fellow with 27 years experience look at my car, and he seems to think that we can put it back together. He wasn't sure about the rarity of a Pagoda with a rear jump seat and no convertible top. Just a general question. He was aware of the forum and suggested that I pose the question here. Thanks for and the advice that I have recieved here, I surely appreciate all the frienly information that I have seen on the forum.

Thanks again,
Paul Jackson
Lexington, KY

[Douglas]

Paul,

I'm assuming you have a California Coupe -- in other words, a fold-down bench seat in the rear and no "well" for a soft top at all. Is this correct?

If so, there are a number of past & present Coupe owners on this site.

Douglas Kim
New York, NY
280 SL #016220

[n/a]

I am unfamiliar with the terminolgy California coupe. The rear seat does fold down, but never had a convertible top. I recieved this auto as a family heirloom handed down from my father in law, who now has dementia and remembers very little about the car. It's low mileage and in marginal condition, but it's a keeper. I think I have found a very knowedgable fellow to guide me thru this. Strickly an MB man, with several restored MB's of his own. With less than 5,200 of these vehicles produced, I guess they are all rare. Maybe some of the current or past owners will see this and pass me some more info.

Thanks for the reply.

[Douglas]

Paul,

Use the search feature in the forums and run a search on "California Coupe" or just "Coupe." You'll see lots of pix and info. California Coupe is the nickname it aquired, but the official name of your model is a "250 SL Coupe." It's a rare 2+2 (feels more like 2+1.5) version of the 250 & 280 versions. No real added value because of its impracticality, but a neat quirky option.

Douglas Kim
New York, NY
280 SL #016220

[rwmastel]

quote:Originally posted by cwinc

I am unfamiliar with the terminolgy California coupe. The rear seat does fold down, but never had a convertible top.

Make sure it's a factory coupe and not a conversion.  There should be a code plate on the inner front right fender (forward of the windshield washer fluid bottle).  Please post the codes from that plate and we'll decipher them with you.  We have a database of codes:

http://www.sl113.org/data/show_table.asp?table_name=usr_option_codes

Thanks,

Rodd
Powell, Ohio, USA
1966 230SL, Euro, Auto, Leather, both  tops
1994 E420

[Douglas]

Who would convert a Roadster into a Coupe? I think that stream flows the other direction. :-)

Douglas Kim
New York, NY
280 SL #016220

[mbzse]

quote:Originally posted by cwinc

...recently aquired my 1967 250SL. ../.. wasn't sure about the rarity of a Pagoda with a rear jump seat and no convertible top

Certainly rare, but - a coupé version (no soft top) is, as Douglas Kim points out, no added and possibly a detriment to value. We have two 250SL 2+2 here in Sweden AFAIK, this is out of some 50 250SL in total.
From the German Club Pagode statistics, 2 to 3 percent of the W113 run today as 2+2 California Coupés. A number of 2+2's have been converted to fit a soft-top, but certainly less than 5 percent of the Pagodas left the factory as 2+2 California models

/Hans in Stockholm