what year ?

[Dave]

Ok, so I have a 1967 230SL.  I understand they made 185 230's of that model year.  However, my number is 12-017xxx.  If they stopped 230SL production at 12-019832 how can I be one of 185 cars but my vin# is approx. 2400 lower than the final 230SL ?

[Norm]

You need to check the production date of your car.  My 230 "12-018378" was produced in September 1966 and delivered in Hanover branch Germany on October 7, 1966.

What you probably have is a 230 produced in 1966 but titled as a 1967.

Check your vin # here  http://www.sl113.org/wiki/DataCard/USModelYear


Norm

[Dave]

Thanks.  How did you find out when your car was made and where it was delivered?

[Garry]

Dave have a read here to see how to get one for your car.

http://www.sl113.org/wiki/DataCard/DataCards

They are available from the Mercedes Classic Centre in California at no cost.

Garry

[Richard Madison]

We also have production dates in our Technical Manual at http://www.sl113.org/wiki/DataCard/USModelYear

Looks like your car was made between June and September of 1966 depending on the last numbers of the VIN.

It's easy to confuse Model Year with Calendar Year. A Calendar Year goes from 01 Jan to 31 Dec of a specific year.

A Model year is the time when cars of a specific annual Model were made and typically ran from say August or September of one year to August or September of the following year when the next Model year began.

So a car produced in November 1967, as an example, was made in Calendar Year 1967 but was sold as a 1968 Model.

While MB made only 830 280SL's in 1971, there were a lot more "1971" 280's sold since the cars made from September to December of 1970 were sold as 1971 Model cars..

Richard M, NYC

 

     

Richard M, NYC

[Norm]

Thanks.  How did you find out when your car was made and where it was delivered?

The Classic Center also offers a "certificate" that includes the "Destination of delivery", "Date of delivery", and specifications at the time of delivery.  It also come s in a nice "Mercedes Silver" hardcover presentation folder.  It isn't cheap but it is a nice thing to have.

Norm

[al_lieffring]

I was looking at an aftermarket imported 230sl, registered as a 1967 model but the vin # was 0015xx, a car that actually was manufactured in June of 1964.

The registrars at state offices have no way to determining the actual model year of a car being imported by an individual and can only copy down what is on the papers handed to them, so the model year on a title should not be relied on as an indicator of when the car was built.

[Dave]

Thanks to all for providing me with an education.  Looks like I'm off to get some documentation !

[Jordan]

Al, I think I may have seen the same 230SL.  Was it on e-bay earlier this year being sold by a dealer in NY?  I sent them a message asking about the year based on the VIN and they said they would get back to me but I never heard back.

Dave, to add further confusion, the model year also depends on whether your car is a US or Euro model.  I have a 1966 230SL and it was made in mid October 1966 (45th birthday is coming up).  Because it is a Euro car, it is registered as a 1966 and not a 1967, which would have been the case had the car been exported to the US.

[Norm]

Hey,  this is fun 

Using the data available in  the tech section it shows that 434 113's were produced in September 1966.  Averaging 20 cars  per day (22 production days) and confirming that September 1st 1966  like September 1st 2011 was a Thursday, I can deduce that my car came off the final assembly line on Friday September 30th, 1966.

I'll be in New York City next Friday, so my wife and I will have to celebrate that "birthday" someplace special.

Norm

[Jordan]

Norm, I used both the tech manual here as well as the "Mercedes Collector" publications to narrow down the date.  On Oct 14, 1966 the coolant tube for warming the intake air was installed ahead of the venturi at chassis 18563.  My car has this coolant tube and was made 50 cars later so it was probably made on the 17th of October.  In your case, chasis number 18331 was made on Sept 28, 1966.  Your car only followed by 47 cars so was probably made on the 28th or 29th of September.

[Norm]

Like I said, this is fun stuff....

Does anyone know approximately how long a 113 was on the production line from start to finish?

[Dave]

This is great. 
Jordan-your explanation is right on.  Make a bunch of US spec cars, group them together, and send them on ships to US.  Since the next year's cars are available in the fall of the year before, summer's production fills the showrooms with "next year's models" in the fall.
Norm-using your math, and the rate of 20 cars mfg per day and a 5-day week, it looks like my '67 was built somewhere around July 18th 1966.

Cool !  This 45 year old isn't going to "hit the wall" like most other 45 year olds - still looks terrific.