I bought a number of different ads and brochures off Ebay over the past year or two. Prices are typically good, also compared to these auto parts jumbles / flea markets. Mercedes still sells reprints of some of the original sales brochures, e.g. for the 280 SL which I bought at the museum in Stuttgart. I don't recall the price exactly, but I think it was around $20.
Many period ads have also been reproduced in John Olson's book "The SL Experience" as well as in other books on the SL. But owning the original (and in that larger size) does "add" something.
Ads I have: "At last, a sports car for grown-ups - the Mercedes-Benz 230SL", quoting the base price at $6,185.
"Why the Mercedes-Benz 250SL costs $6,897", calling this car "exotic but solid". "The 280SL is the grand total of everything MB engineers have learned about high-performance sporting machinery", a two-page add with a full-page color photo of a red 280SL with a silver gull wing in the background. Then "All the pleasures of sports car driving- and none of the privations" (I don't think that word is udsed anymore!) showing two W113's on the inclined curve of the test track. With the same picture comes "The new MB 280SL: so "over-engineered" it maneuvers in traffic like a whippet in a herd of buffalo". "MB announces a more potent 230SL - the 250SL". My personal favorite title: "Meet Mercedes (230SL). She has designs on men with money". The text starts with: "Men of whatever age or means might do well to stay out of flirting range of the Mercedes 230SL" and ends with "This temptress is now displaying her charms at your local MB dealer's. One look might not hurt. Be brazen. Take the wife along". Then there's an add "Mercedes wins Spa-Sofia-LIege rally for the second year" with a large photo of our logo car (no. 39 S-RV 441 with Boehringer behind the wheel) and, finally, "Introducing the latest addition to the famous MB "SL" series-the 230SL" claiming top speed of 125 MPH.A very nice brochure I also picked up is a German language general promotional one for the factory and its model range around 1963, that for the front cover has a photo of Enzo Ferrari inspecting the just-introduced 230SL.
Cees
'69 white 280 SL
