Poor UK sales but exported where?

[batman]

I know that this topic was raised a few years ago but I have been reading "Mercedes-Benz SL W113 Series" by Brian Long (published 2011) and on page 18, in the section discussing the 280SL models, the author says that..."All told, around 1,150 W113 models were sold in the UK".

Assuming he was referring to all 3 models (and not just the 280) I was quite surprised by this low number, given the size of such a car loving country, as it represents a mere 2.4% of total Pagoda production.

By contrast, 40% of total production was exported to the US. Yet, in 1970 the population of the UK was 27% of the USA (55m v. 205m) and so if the sales success of the Pagoda in the US had been replicated in the UK, MB would have sold roughly 5,000 Pagodas rather than just 1,150. I wonder why the lack of relative sales success in the UK market: more UK based sports cars as competition to the Pagoda (e.g. Jag E-Type, Austin Healy etc), less marketing than in the US, less MB dealer network in the UK, relative prosperity of the US versus the UK in the 1960's?

Anyway - this got me thinking, where did all the remaining non-US/UK exported Pagodas go?

Excluding the US & the UK, a total of 13,525 were exported & sold. That's a lot of cars. Where did they go? What were the other main export markets during the 1960's for MB?

France (probably too nationalistic to buy many German cars back then), Austria, Belgium & NL (yes but each a very small market), Italy (big market but German cars?), Scandi countries (very small combined market), Spain (poor country so maybe a handful at best), Eastern European countries (too poor), Russia (import restrictions), Canada (mid- size market but into sports style cars - not sure), China (no), India (no), Australia (probably no more than 400 sold), Japan (large market but dont know), Latin America/South America (?), South Africa (yes but very small market)

I mean, if a large and sophisticated car market like the UK only sold 1,150, then based on above maybe only half the UK sales for each of France, Italy, Spain, Scandi, Canada and the Benulux. That's, say, another 3,000 cars.

Where were the other 10,000 Pagodas sold - what key export countries am I missing? Does anyone know detailed export figures per country?

[Matt113]

According to www.howmanyleft.co.uk ( an extremely interesting site!) there were 261 230SLs registered in the UK in 2014 and 227 in 2001, no doubt the increase in numbers is due to Pagodas imported from the US or elsewhere, similarly there were 131 250SLs in 2014 and 121 in 2001. The numbers for the 280SL cannot be relied on as they would include R107s.

[batman]

So if one assumes approximately same number for 280's that would mean there are 600-700 Pagodas still registered in the UK, meaning roughly 50% of those originally imported are still on the road.

I guess this 50% remaining proportion could be assumed for the entire 48,912 production run. Nice to think that half of all made are still being driven around (even if a few are on the back of trailers!).

[Peter van Es]

Compare the sales price of a 280SL in 1969 with that of an e-type in the same year and you have your answer...

[batman]

Agree. In 1968 a Pagoda cost GBP 3,850 & E-Type cost 2,100. 

Nevertheless, for every 1 Pagoda MB sold, 20 E-Types were bought.