1968 Pagoda sells for $335,000 at Monterey RM Sotheby's auction

[GM]

Concours restoration by Classic center
https://rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/mo21/monterey/lots/r0120-1968-mercedes-benz-280-sl-pagoda/1129312

Slide to bottom of list for sale results:
https://scottgrundfor.com/monterey-auctions-2021

[zak]

Great read, Gary. Thanks for posting.

jz

[Merc_Girl]

Silly question

The rear light clusters looks like those off a 230SL, not a 280?

Very pretty car though☺️

[kampala]

The rear light clusters looks like those off a 230SL, not a 280?

This is a very early 280 (VIN 200) the 250's and early 280's had the all-red taillights like the 230's (of course with country specific exceptions)

[Cees Klumper]

The car must not have been driven since the 2010 restoration and if the new owner would start driving it it would most likely start depreciating as quickly as any new Mercedes. I wonder even how it would drive/run, after 11 years of non-use.
I note Pawel's old brake fluid reservoir looks better than the one on this example.

[mdsalemi]

To heck with all the BaT nonsense…

Send your car to RM!!! 😱

[Iconic]

Funny Michael !
Next time I'm selling a third of a million dollar Pagoda, I'll run to RM ...... but, until then I like BaT.   

[RAY]

A stunning car for sure but I would want some' square' exhaust tips for that money 

Definitely not a Cognac leather though, looks more like Bamboo or similar and a completely different colour grab handle ?

[GM]

To Cees' point - the tires are 11 years old too...
The bigger question to me is, if a complete restoration is ~$125k (obviously depending on pre-restoration condition), what does this sale say about the value of unrestored Pagodas? Seems like a lot of margin there?

[Jonny B]

Hope the new owner won't be disappointed to take it to an MB concours and get points off for the headlight change!

[mdsalemi]

Here's one thing to ponder, people...

When the Classic Center restores a car, they can ONLY use official MB parts. So, my absolutely stunningly perfect data tag I had copied to new condition and had it embossed properly? Not allowed. Have you ever encountered any parts NLA? Of course you have. But that didn't stop you...it would stop the CC and force them into using things we wouldn't. Hauser's square exhaust tips? Not allowed on a CC restoration, beautiful as they may be.

Somebody wanted it enough to pay that kind of money!

[doitwright]

Lets see what Brian Peters at MotoringInvestments.com  has in store for us when he reveals his "Penultimate 1971 280SL"

Currently undergoing a "minor restoration".

Its unique distinguishing feature is that it is the 2nd to last W113 built.

Asking price: $620,000.

Yes. You read that right.

[kampala]

if a complete restoration is ~$125k (obviously depending on pre-restoration condition),

I have heard from a couple folks about 3 years ago that a full resto is closer to and over 200k at classic center.   1500-2000 hours

[Shvegel]

Jonny B,
How bad is the deduct for non delivered lighting?  I switched mine to Euro spec, no markers and no overriders.

[stickandrudderman]

It kind of re-inforces my price point for my RHD 250 5 speed! 

[zak]

I would be afraid to drive that beauty if it were mine. Hope the new owner joins the club !
It was good to read Scott Grundfors comments too.

jz

[lreppond]

No one could argue that the car isn’t beautifully presented.  Is it absolutely historically correct?  Not really.  Unfortunately at $335k I doubt it’ll be driven much.  It’s destined to be ferried between its garage and shows in an enclosed transport truck. 

Btw, that’s not a cognac interior.  Looks like bamboo to me??

[thelews]

It is Bamboo, I had it in a '72 300 SEL 4.5.  Like it better than Cognac, which has never been a favorite of mine, but very common.

A lot not correct with this beautiful car, glaringly, the firewall pad.  Not too impressed with the quality, fit of the driver's door panel for this kind of money.

None of it matters.  The buyer couldn't give a rip about factory correctness, or if he/she/it did, just assumed and will vocally insist that if the Classic Center did it, it has to be right.  Either way, they loved the car, had the bucks and satisfied their itch.

[neelyrc]

What happened to the paint runs inside the trunk lid?  A very beautiful car.

[Jonny B]

Shvegel, If it were the back lights, the side lights and the headlights, could be up to 2 points - this would be per the MBCA judging guidelines. In a bigger show it would depend on how knowledgeable the judges are for the 113s. If they are, probably a little less, as the sheets per ICJAG are not as detailed (although the instructions are).

[mmizesko]

Decent looking tool kit, but no fuses or Hapewe pliers?  pick pick pick.

[john.mancini]

High price is probably just a sign of inflation . Wait a month, it will seem like a bargain!

[Drewbg]

I saw the automatic 280SL that sold for 330k at RM. Well restored car, and fully restored. A bit overcooked for my money but rare to see a truly fully restored Pagoda. Still seemed like huge money but Mercedes were up across all models.

this is being asked at double that price...but it's actually a unique example (to say the least), all original, factory ZF 5 speed, factory custom engine and chassis finishing by Mercedes, factory installed sport shocks.

https://scottgrundfor.com/for-sale-1971-mercedes-benz-280sl-zf-5-speed-standwagen/

[Cees Klumper]

A painted black valve cover and a polished intake manifold. 'Mercedes special prepared car' for $660K please? What's the world coming to!

[Drewbg]

A painted black valve cover and a polished intake manifold. 'Mercedes special prepared car' for $660K please? What's the world coming to!

The world is coming to an understanding, I would surmise, that one of a kind cars are significantly more valuable than standard production cars, from a collectibility standpoint anyway. Mercedes-Benz did not do a lot of customization to their cars, and I believe this is on the only known all original example of a 280sl customized by Mercedes-Benz in such a manner.

Regardless of model, to find a factory prepared show car in this sort of original condition is something almost unheard of, I'm certainly not aware of another example. There is far more going on with this particular car that is different than a standard car than simply a painted rocker arm cover and polished intake manifold.

Value is another topic altogether, someone will pay the asking price or they will not. But the car itself is singularly unique from my perspective as someone who has been around a lot of special Mercedes-Benz.

I thought the 330k price achieved by RM for a standard automatic 1968 was 20 to 30% more than would be achieved. Crazy days.