1965 | Mercedes-Benz 230 SL

The Pagoda shape is iconic and when, as in the case here, the car has been restored to the absolute highest of standards the driving experience and overall pleasure compliment the shape superbly well

A well established client of ours set about this project nearly 5 years ago, to restore the perfect Pagoda. The car was sourced from California, USA as an unfinished restoration project that had been stripped back to the bare shell making it easy to establish that she was already an excellent starting point from which to launch the undertaking

Immediately after purchase the shell was acid dipped and electrophosphorescent primed, the whole car was near perfect with only a small amount of rust found in the boot floor

The boot floor was therefore replaced with a factory supplied panel whilst every other panel on the car is the original she left the factory with

The entire shell was seam sealed and the underside coated with Raptor epoxy sealant to further ensure her longevity

As is always best with Mercedes-Benz motorcars it was chosen to restore her in her original colours of Arctic White over Blue interior. Happily the interior has been trimmed in beautifully supple leather hides instead of the less desirable MB Tex, the seats are brand new and their shape and support feel that way whilst the period correct headrests were installed as well to improve safety and comfort

Of course the entire interior is in essence brand new with the period correct Becker stereo fitted with an internal Bluetooth connectivity option, invisible to even the most expert observer

Both the hard top and soft top fit perfectly onto the shell, in fact every panel gap and seal is seamless. More than 600 recorded man hours were dedicated to her restoration and it really does show - there are even plastic covers for the hood when stowed and the rear screen also has a cover for the soft top when stowed, as shown in the pictures

These earlier versions of the 113 SL had a far prettier cabin with chrome trims on the A pillars and windscreen surrounds that were removed in the interest of safety on later cars

Naturally as a left hand driver car the use of KPH as well as MPH has been considered in the build, with the KPH indications being added to the GPS controlled speedometer meticulously in exactly the same front as those in MPH

Mechanically she of course is sweet as a nut, quite easily the smoothest engine of any Pagoda I've ever driven. This however is hardly surprising as Colin Ferns who undertook the restoration proudly explained to me he has balanced the crank to a 0.1grams despite the factory prescribed tolerance of 5grams

The entire engine, transmission, final drive, rear axle, brakes and suspension were all completely rebuilt to as new standard with not a single washer left untouched

A manual 5 speed G-trag gearbox has been installed giving her extra cruising ability at high speeds and further accentuating the smoothness and readiness of the engine which has surprising alacrity

The odometer was zeroed upon completion of the restoration and she has since covered only 127 miles, when I collected her from the storage facility in Surrey that she had been cocooned in to find the reading of 83 miles I must say I felt privileged to be adding another 50%

The drive was a joy, starting off on sweet country lanes on which she felt balanced, poised, nimble and light her finely tuned engine humming politely through the twin pipes below whilst the gears flowed smooth as a delicious Black Forest cake

As I pulled onto the M4 back towards London she picked up speed beautifully and sat comfortably at 65 mph with plenty of room to spare, not yet to be used though for one must allow time after the restoration for the engine to bed in properly

Lastly London, the Great West Road leading to the glittering streets of The Royal Borough, like a mild mannered pet she rested easily in traffic idling without a fuss all the while the temperature gauge remaining 100% steady in the middle and looking every bit as elegant and stylish as she did when new

A real connoisseurs choice