Mercedes 230 250 280SL Gold Portfolio 1963-1971

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Mercedes-Benz sports cars have always been somewhat controversial in enthusiast circles. Some supposedly knowledgeable individuals actually insist that Mercedes has never built a proper sports car, and that the succession of models which have worn the famous SL identifying letters have been little more than two seater saloons with the roof removed - safe, boring, and ultimately not as fast as the best of their contemporaries. I have to disagree - and strongly. The Mercedes Benz philosophy has always been to build cars which are fundamentally practical cars which can be used in all weathers and for all occasions, and the SLs are precisely that. The famous Pagoda roof of the Sixties models covered in this book was not only a distinctive styling feature but also allowed the basic roadster model to be used as a snug closed saloon throughout the winter. As for performance, the W113 models (to give them their proper works code) always fielded the latest and most powerful of the factory’s six-cylinder engines, and there were precious few sports cars which could outrun them. Those which could invariably had some serious drawbacks, such as poor comfort, questionable on-the-limit handling, or patchy spares supply. The SLs were comfortable, safe-handling exotics which could be serviced or repaired by the main Mercedes agent in every big town. The 230SL made its debut at the Geneva Show in 1963, and featured Mercedes’ latest 150bhp 2.3-litre fuel-injected six. A little over three years later, it gave way to the 250SL which, as its name implied, had the latest 2.5-litre engine with slightly more torque but the same maximum power. This one was followed swiftly by the 280SL in 1967, in which power went up to 170bhp and torque again rose. The final 2.8-litre engines were of course also available in emissions-controlled form for the USA, where they lost some of their edge as compared to European versions but still pumped out a good 10bhp more then their predecessors. Like all Mercedes, the W113s are durable and - more than 30 years after their first introduction - still eminently usable as everyday cars. The articles in this book are a delightful reminder of the way they seemed when they were new all those years ago. This is a book road & comparison tests, new model intros, driver's impressions & buying second hand. 172 pages, 450 illus. SB. SKU: MB63GP ISBN: 9781855203044