This is a 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280 SL. Designed by Friedrich Geiger, Béla Barényi and Paul Bracq, the 280 SL was the final interaction of the W113, the second generation of the SL-Class, originally introduced in 1963.
Originally introduced at the 1963 Geneva Motor Show as the 230 SL, the car was developed combining the platform of the W111 "Ponton" sedans with the technology of the W112 S-Class; development was overseen by Fritz Ballinger, who stated that Mercedes-Benz's aim was to create a very safe and fast sports car with high performance and comfort. Engineering was done by chief engineer Rudolf Uhlenhaut, while styling was by Bracq and Barényi, creating the car's patented slightly concave hardtop which gave it the nickname of "Pagoda".
The 280 SL was the final version of the W113, introduced in December 1967, it having this time become a "comfortable grand tourer". It was powered by a 2.8L M130 inline-6 producing 168 horsepower, mated to either a 4-speed automatic, 4-speed manual or a 5-speed ZF manual. More than half of all 280 SLs were sold in the United States, with US-mandated models having a number of subtle changes such as sealed beam headlights as opposed to the Bosch Lichteinheit headlights used everywhere else. Today, the 280 SL is highly praised and has a number of prominent owners. Production ended on 23 February 1971, with the car replaced with the R107; 23,885 were produced, making the 280 SL the most common of all W113 models.
Now this casting was designed by Ira Gilford and introduced in 1969 and released in eight known colors. It features an opening hood. There's a few versions with black roofs that were only found in Europe. This casting was last released in 1973 with enamel paint in eleven known colors.
