Mercedes-Benz 230 SL
(1963 - 1967)
Car articles about Mercedes-Benz 230 SL by year
Car fans once dreamed of top-of-the-range or super sports cars. Since the turn of the millennium, however, hypercars have been regarded as the ultimate in automotive transportation. But whether they offer real driving pleasure is doubtful. To prove this thesis, this article takes you through the development of the sports car up to the present day and shows many of the cars mentioned in pictures.
Is the Mercedes 230 SL better than its predecessor, the 190 SL? Is it worth switching to a newer model? To get to the bottom of this and many other questions, hobby editor Heinz Kranz climbed into a fresh 230 SL and compared it visually, technically and on the road with its predecessor, the 190 SL. The result is a comprehensive vehicle report comparing the two models and detailing their advantages and disadvantages.
The Mercedes-Benz 230 SL, the "dream car" of the sixties from Germany, is pitted against the exotic from Italy, the Fiat 2300 S Coupé. "What does a touring sports car have to offer?" asked the magazine 'hobby' and measured the two incomparables against each other. And the result was far less clear-cut than some fans of one brand or the other might think. This comparative test report reproduces the original wording from 1964 and supplements the pictures from that time with extensive archive material.
The preconceptions about the new Mercedes-Benz 230 SL were that it was too luxurious for a sports car and too sporty for a luxury car. However, its designers deliberately opted for this interpretation. In the test at the time, the SL proved to be a car that did nothing perfectly, but was very good at a great many things - and the automatic transmission even made it both sportier and more luxurious.
The Mercedes-Benz 230 (W 110) and the BMW 2000 were the non-plus-ultra in the mid-size class in 1967. They combined comfort with sporty performance and plenty of space. However, both had different strengths. The magazine 'hobby' dedicated a "super test" to them, which went right across Europe and put the two rivals through their paces. The original three-part test report is summarized in this article in its original wording and supplemented with historical images.
The Mercedes-Benz 280 SL of the W 113 model series and its direct predecessors, the 230 SL and 250 SL, are among the most popular automobile classics of all. Accordingly, much has already been written about them. That is why, in addition to a brief biography, this article focuses on special variants and versions that are less well known, but also offers driving impressions with a 280 SL with automatic transmission. Many of the historical photographs showing pre-series versions and special bodies are probably unique, as are the early press documents, which means that this vehicle report is also aimed at intimate connoisseurs of the "Pagoda".
Current market prices for Mercedes-Benz 230 SL
Convertible, 150 PS, 2281 cm3
4-Door Sedan, 105 PS, 2281 cm3
4-Door Sedan, 120 PS, 2281 cm3
4-Door Sedan, 120 PS, 2281 cm3
Roadster, 215 PS, 2996 cm3
Convertible, 105 PS, 1897 cm3
Convertible, 150 PS, 2496 cm3
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Auctioned vehicles of Mercedes-Benz 230 SL
| Brand | Model | Year | Status | Auction name | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes-Benz 230 SL manual lhd hardtop 1964 Sold Coys Monaco Sale (May 9, 2014) |
230 SL manual lhd hardtop | 1964 | Sold | Coys Monaco Sale (May 9, 2014) | |
| Mercedes-Benz 230 SL auto hardtop 1967 Not Sold Coys Ascot Sale (October 11, 2014) |
230 SL auto hardtop | 1967 | Not Sold | Coys Ascot Sale (October 11, 2014) | |
| Mercedes-Benz 230 SL (113) 1966 Sold Auctionata Berlin Sale (May 4, 2015) |
230 SL (113) | 1966 | Sold | Auctionata Berlin Sale (May 4, 2015) | |
| Mercedes-Benz 230 SL 'Pagoda' 1965 Sold RM/Sotheby's Auburn Fall (September 3, 2020) |
230 SL 'Pagoda' | 1965 | Sold | RM/Sotheby's Auburn Fall (September 3, 2020) | |
| Mercedes-Benz 230 SL (113) 1966 Sold Brightwells Classic & Vintage Cars and Motorcycles (November 25, 2015) |
230 SL (113) | 1966 | Sold | Brightwells Classic & Vintage Cars and Motorcycles (November 25, 2015) | |
| Mercedes-Benz 230 SL (113) 1964 Sold Bonhams Quail Lodge Auction (August 18, 2017) |
230 SL (113) | 1964 | Sold | Bonhams Quail Lodge Auction (August 18, 2017) | |
| Mercedes-Benz 230 SL (113) 1967 Sold Auctionata Berlin Sale (April 22, 2016) |
230 SL (113) | 1967 | Sold | Auctionata Berlin Sale (April 22, 2016) | |
| Mercedes-Benz 230 SL (113) 1965 Sold Bonhams The Paris Sale (February 5, 2015) |
230 SL (113) | 1965 | Sold | Bonhams The Paris Sale (February 5, 2015) | |
| Mercedes-Benz 230 SL 1964 Not Sold Coys Ascot Sale (April 27, 2013) |
230 SL | 1964 | Not Sold | Coys Ascot Sale (April 27, 2013) | |
| Mercedes-Benz 230 SL Convertible with Hardtop 1966 Not Sold Bonhams Bond Street Versteigerung (December 16, 2020) |
230 SL Convertible with Hardtop | 1966 | Not Sold | Bonhams Bond Street Versteigerung (December 16, 2020) |
Query all auctioned vehicles of Mercedes-Benz 230 SL
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