1970 Mercedes-Benz 280 SL Pagoda
- Engine
- 2.8L inline-six
- Colour
- Dark red (DB576) with black hardtop
A 1971-delivered Mercedes-Benz 280 SL on the W113 chassis, finished in dark red (DB576) with a black hardtop, this example has covered fewer than 71,000 original miles across a documented four-owner history. Retained by its first owner for 25 years with meticulous service records, it subsequently received a full engine rebuild, a bare-metal repaint in its original colour, and a comprehensive mechanical and cosmetic service at the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center. The body retains original spot welds and factory details consistent with an unrestored shell.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold US$100,800
- 1971-09-29 → 1997Factory deliveryDr. William Hombachfull documentation
Retired Air Force flight surgeon based in Montana who drove approximately 2,000 miles annually and kept a fully stamped warranty and service record book throughout his tenure.
- 1997 → 2012Private saleMike Connerspartial documentation
Collector from Minnesota who added around 19,000 miles and commissioned a full matching-numbers engine rebuild at a cost of $12,000.
- 2012 → 2013Private saleSouthern California collectorpartial documentation
Had the car refinished in the factory red shade (DB576) with a black hardtop (DB040) and kept it as a display piece; sold with fewer than 70,000 miles on the odometer.
- 2013 →Private saleNorthern California ownerpartial documentation
Used the car infrequently and arranged a thorough mechanical and cosmetic service at the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in Irvine before consigning it for sale.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- 2012Bodywork
Full repaint in the factory dark red shade (DB576) with the hardtop refinished in black (DB040), carried out under the third owner's ownership.
Work was intended to restore the original factory colour combination.
- —Service
All scheduled maintenance carried out by the first owner over 25 years of use, as evidenced by complete stamps in the original warranty and service booklet.
Covers the period from 1971 delivery through to the 1997 sale; approximately 50,000 miles of documented routine servicing.
- —Engine rebuild
Matching-numbers engine fully rebuilt at a cost of approximately $12,000 during the second owner's tenure.
Carried out after the second owner had already added around 9,000 miles to the car; a further 10,000 miles were driven following the rebuild.
- —ServiceMercedes-Benz Classic Center
Comprehensive mechanical and cosmetic reconditioning performed by the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center prior to the current auction offering.
Carried out in Irvine, California, at the direction of the fourth and current owner.
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