Mercedes 280 SL Pagode Roadster

The ‘Pagode’ (so called because of her concave hardtops) appeared first during the 1963 Geneva Auto-Salon. This roadster was built 48.912 times concepted as a 2 seater cabriolet with both, a softtop and a hardtop.

The ‘Pagode’ is the first SL with speed and safety: her undercarriage came from the well renowned „tail fin“, worldwide the first c ar with a safety carriage and stiff saloon with deformable zones and easily collapsible front and rear segments. The inside had no sharp edges and even safety belts were obtainable. The steering wheel box was shifted from the crash endangeroud parts in the front to the cowl, the steering column being buckled. The safety telesco steering column and the steering wheel’s impact disc were added in 1967.

The carriage is adjusted to the roadster by a ball thrust steering, double-circuit break system and break disks in the front. Her suspension is tight but comfortable with gas pressure shock absorbers, and for the first time, an SL used radial tires. Her top speed is 200 km/h (hand-shifted) and a 230 SL was compared with a Ferrari 250 GT with similar round trip times on a French racetrack!

In Germany there were 4736 Pagode roadsters counted in the year 2006. A Pagode-SL is rarely scrapped even when in bad condition as they have become too precious. Moreover, a good restauration is not too complicated due to the fact of the consequent modular construction system and even today easily accessible technology of the „tail fin“ saloon-cars.

Our CarMANT-Pagode was pre-owned by a california-based broker from 1969 through early 2008, when we used the “grace of the financial crisis” and bought her on the spot – no signs of rust, all original welding spots, re-painted from dark brown to snow-white, original chrome parts, everything being ‘originally German’ but the Kenwood radio.
We added new radial tires as well as a 2008-Becker-Mexico-Radio with navigation, mobile phone and Dolby-Surround.
… and there she is, our white Pagode, our wolf in the sheep’s skin, waiting for you, and you, and especially for you!

CarMANT: driven by passion!

Finally a video of a Mercedes-Benz 280 SL Pagode Roadster,

which we found for you at YouTube