Is red a desirable color for a Pagoda?

[jf308]

Just watched a video of a Signal Red 280 SL (tan leather interior) - Jerry Seinfeld/Alec Baldwin.

In the Ferrari world, "re-sale Red" is a huge plus and other car colors are "sale-proof".  Whats the scoop with Pagoda SL's?  Is red a desirable color?

[stickandrudderman]

I think it is generally a popular colour with buyers but I don't like it as it fades very quickly unless you really take good care of it.

[mdsalemi]

Well, I know I like it...I think JonnyB does too.

[GGR]

A lot of Pagodas have been re-painted signal red, so it was popular at some point in time. I would think that by now the clientele has changed and colors that are a bit more subdued may be preferred as they suit the car's understated class better. In the reds, I would say a darker tone is nice.

[Coochas]

I think color is such a personal choice.  I realize resale can enter the picture but I've never been practical like that.  I love my signal red 280SL and I have a bright orange 911.  The orange probably isn't the best for resale value but I LOVE it!!!

[Rolf-Dieter ✝︎]

I owned a 300 series with AMG options 1987 in red (1986 to 2004 my then toy), one of my closest friends called it "The Pimp Mobile" it did not mind it at all I still liked red. I do admit sometimes the Police liked it too, they made me pull over a few times and handed me a warning or even a ticket

[GGR]

I have a bright orange 911.  The orange probably isn't the best for resale value but I LOVE it!!!

Orange on a 911 is great!  I had an Inka Orange '71 BMW 2002 and I loved it! Colors is certainly a personal affair, but it also depends on the car. I would hate an orange W111 Coupe for example!

[Jonny B]

Michael is sure accurate! I do like my DB568 250 SL.

[KevinC]

I guess its how you would define "desirable"... MB produced many colors and to me they are all "desirable". I'll bet with all the replies you get, most will like their color the best....because its theirs!  So if you are asking because you are planning to paint your car and own it forever, paint it the color that pleases you! If you are going to paint it to re-sell, paint it the original color as (for the most part) that's what's most desirable.

For about a year, I was lucky enough to own TWO pagodas...my Light Ivory 230SL I feel has a certain "understated elegance" and interestingly looks awesome under the lights at night time. My Red 280SL was perhaps saw quicker head-turns and had more of a sporting appearance IMHO.

 

[49er]

 I guess I am a little unique because I was able pick the color of my car. I hoped to keep the car a while, maybe 10 years tops, so I stayed away from the metallics because back then they seemed to fade pretty quickly and were hard to match if any body work might be needed. I did like the red and green but decided on  050 with cognac interior just like the one in the brochure because I thought it looked "classy". Glad I did because those ten years increased to nearly 50 years and the paint has held up remarkably well and I still think it looks pretty "classy"

John

[dpreston Virginia]

They call it re-sell Red because most all sporty cars sell for the most when red.
The red looks great on the Pagoda.
I like my blue 280SL and Strawberry Metillac 190SL but,  my Red 67 Vette and Red 67 912 always get the wow's first.

[thelews]

not my first choice

[cabrioletturbo]

Impecable vehicel you have, thelews.
I will use some of the pictures you have during my resto.

[dseretakis]

A red pagoda is too flashy in my opinion. Darker hues such as orient red are preferable. I also like metallic strawberry red. Tobacco brown is of course the BEST color!!!!

[thelews]

Impecable vehicel you have, thelews.
I will use some of the pictures you have during my resto.

The previous owner of 37 years was fastidious about keeping it factory correct.

[tobacco]

Signal Red was advertised for some time as exclusive to the Pagoda, and it's the color most often featured in Daimler-Benz's W 113 literature -- so that alone would make DB568 desirable.

Beyond my personal opinion that it's the most beautiful of all Pagoda colors, there's nothing cooler than a properly matched Signal Red hubcap with a factory-fresh Firestone Phoenix 185R14 whitewall.   I mean, red hubcaps?

(Postscript: there was a dealer rumor in 1971 that the factory was retiring both Signal Red and Tobacco Brown with the new 350 SL, but U.S. popular demand brought them both back for an encore.)

[Alan Smithee]

I am generally anti-red, but timing, condition, spec, and price led me to a Signal Red 280SL.  Thought it was going to be short-term until I found a more subdued Pagoda, but now my wife will never entertain the thought of me selling it.  It has grown on me.  Looks great with black interior, aforementioned white walls, and period-correct black CA plates.  There is a reason Signal Red was used in the brochures...and in the Seinfeld episode.

But I will never own a red a Ferrari.

Coochas, didn't I see you over at Rennlist?

[Panzer82]

Color is such a personal choice. I believe in what's factory correct for a particular car. An olive green that was repainted in signal red would NEVER be a car for me. I'm not a huge red car guy, but if the right opportunity came along and there was a really nice signal red car available for the right money, I wouldn't walk away. I guess color is never a huge choice for me... cars seem to FIND me, sometimes the right car just comes along, no matter what color.

I generally like interesting or unusual colors... but depends on the car... Pagodas wear a lot of colors well.

There are people out there who think red is too flashy, too bright, too attention getting... I talked to a guy recently who's looking for his first Pagoda SL, all he wants is signal red "I've just always imagined having a red one" he said when I offered him a light ivory example with contrasting tobacco brown hub caps and hard top (a unique color combo I thought was really cool, not all that common). He JUST wants red... that's it, which is fine. He's waited for 45 years to have one, might as well get what he wants, it's his $75 - $85,000, whatever the price ends up being.

Me, I'm more about the CAR, what's underneath, the history, the story... if it's Moss Green Metallic, great... if it's original weissgrau paint on a one owner car.. I'd do that too. I guess I just like'em all... as long as they're correct, I'm no fan of color changes, no matter how nicely executed, I'm more about correctness. I think I really lucked out when I found my current 230SL in Red Poly... this sort of weird red / orange / copper metallic color (depending on the light)... I'd never seen it on any Mercedes before. I think there is one pictured in an issue of Pagoda World that featured the European get together a couple years ago. My car is a Euro model that was imported to the U.S. in the early 80s by a gentleman in Milwaukee.