1968 Mercedes-Benz W113 SL

This 1968 Mercedes-Benz 280SL California Coupe is a European-market example that is said to have been imported from Portugal to California by the current owner in 2014. Work in the past two years has included a repaint in white as well as refreshes of the brakes, driveline, and fuel system. It is finished in Papyrus White over black leather and is powered by a 2.8-liter inline-six paired with a five-speed manual transmission. The car was equipped with the California Coupe option, which added rear bench seating in place of the soft top as well as a body-color removable hardtop. Additional equipment includes power steering, four-wheel disc brakes, 14″ steel wheels with painted hubcaps, and a heater. This W113 SL is now offered by the seller on behalf of the current owner with a data card copy and a clean California title. The W113 SL was designed by Friedrich Geiger, Béla Barényi, and Paul Bracq and was introduced to the public at the 1963 Geneva Motor Show. This example left the factory finished in Papyrus White (717) and is said to have been repainted in 2022. Features include a removable hardtop, a retractable antenna, dual side mirrors, and European-specification headlights. A ding near the right headlight can be viewed in the gallery. The 14″ steel wheels feature hubcaps with painted centers and wear 205/75 General tires that were reportedly mounted in 2021. The car is equipped with power steering, and braking is provided by power-assisted four-wheel discs. The brakes were serviced with a replacement master cylinder and wear components in 2021. The cabin houses front bucket seats and a folding rear bench upholstered in black leather that extends to the door panels. Interior appointments include three-point seatbelts for the front occupants, an analog clock, a floor-mounted gear shifter, and a heater. The heater control levers and shifter bushings were replaced, per the seller. The driver’s seat upholstery shows wear, and the radio is inoperative. The two-spoke steering wheel features a chrome horn ring and frames a 220-km/h speedometer and a tachometer with a 6,500-rpm redline as well as gauges for fuel level, oil pressure, and coolant temperature. The five-digit odometer shows 45k kilometers (~28k miles), approximately 1,500 of which were added under current ownership. Total mileage is unknown. The 2.8-liter M130 inline-six was factory equipped with Bosch fuel injection and was rated at 168 horsepower when new. The fuel tank is said to have been replaced in 2021, while more recent maintenance in 2022 included fluid and filter changes. The seller states that the cold start valve does not work. Power is routed to the rear wheels through a ZF five-speed manual transmission. The rear section of the exhaust system as well as the driveshaft flex disc and clutch hydraulic cylinders were replaced in 2021 per the seller. Corrosion is visible on underside components, additional photos of which are viewable in the image gallery below. Decoding the under-hood data plate reveals the following information: 492 – Heavy-duty heat exchanger Filed under: pagoda, sl, w113