*This is a translation done by a machine.

It's an established theory that Mercedes-Benz cars are superior hardware But, in fact, it's also a fact that the car has become more and more elegant as the car ages, and car enthusiasts are well known. For example, the W126 S-Class, which looked intimidating during the bubble years of the 1980s, is nowadays The fact that more and more people are saying that it's starting to feel a little more elegant is an example of that. It can be said that.

Among those aged Mercedes models, the one that many people put at the top of the list of elegant models is It was the second generation of the W113, which is known as the "Longitudinal eyes SL". Unlike the 300SL, which originated in motor sports and has a strong sporting character, the W113SL is a popular version. It is an extremely high quality open model that has developed the basic concept of the 190SL, which can comfortably handle everything from daily life to small sports driving.

His debut was at the 1963 Geneva Motor Show. While the first generation 300SL and 190SL were designed with various combinations of curves, the second generation W113 was introduced with a simple design based on a soft straight line and added curves. This design was created by the French designer Paul Bracq under the direction of Friedrich Geiger, who had completed the design for the 300SL and was the head of design for Daimler-Benz at the time.

Black was not much talked about as many as Italian designers, but he was an excellent designer, involved in most of the so-called "Longitudinal eyes" models, later returning to France to work on the design of the early TGV prototype, went back to Germany to work on the 6 series "world's most beautiful coupe" in BMW, and designed the concept of "Turbo X1" which became a hint for the styling of the M1 and 8 series later on. One of the features of W 113 is the removable hard top, known as "Pagoda Roof". This is also his work. Black, who had an artistic sensibility, used a Buddhist architectural technique called "eave curve" that warped up toward the edge on the hard top. The reason why you are instantly attracted to the styling of W113 is because the designer's sense of beauty is meticulously detailed. In rare cases you may see a W113 in Roadster shape with a soft top open, which is fascinating, but you can also see that most individuals are coupes with a pagoda roof attached. It's an analog version that requires two people to put on and take off the roof, but since it's beautiful both as a roadster and a coupe, it could be called a 1960's style roadster coupe.

The W113 was powered by an inline six-cylinder SOHC engine all the way from its debut in 1963 until it was replaced by the third generation R107 in 1971, initially debuting as the 230SL with 150hp and 196Nm of 2306cc, evolving into the 250SL with 150hp and 216Nm of 2496cc in 1966, and the final evolution to the 280SL with 170hp and 240Nm of 2778cc in 1967.

I had driven my acquaintance's 280SL about two years ago, and I was very surprised to see that it runs naturally without any uncomfortable feeling on modern roads, that the direct 6 engine runs smoothly although it is not fast, and that in addition, because Rudolf Uhlenhaut who was a "a runnable engineer" who had worked on Mercedes racing cars before and after World War II was involved in the development, the handling was very good and that the speed in the corner was faster than I expected.

The 280SL is the last model of the W113 and the most popular model in the series due in part to its most powerful engine. In addition, the compact size of 4825mm in length and 1760mm in width, which will never be born again, and the combination of the elegant atmosphere throughout is extremely attractive. Thanks to the classic car bubble, the price rose at a glance, but it is said that its value will probably not fall.

This 280SL arrived at the current owner's house about 15 years ago. The current owner's father, who likes Mercedes rather than cars and has been changing from one model to another for more than 30 years, bought it at a Mercedes specialty store.

But he didn't just buy it. It seems that it was originally black US specification, but at the same time as the body and the interior were restored, the exterior was changed to white, the interior and the hood to navy blue, and the details were returned to German specification, and the engine was also taken care of, and it was mostly built in semi-order.

I don't know the details of the work because his father died eight years ago. There are no documents such as records. But this 280SL is in excellent condition. The reason is that the current owner who manages the car after his father's death likes cars better than his father and has considerable knowledge, experience and network as a person who likes cars.

For example, in the mechanical part, the foot circumference, drive system, and power steering have been overhauled, the meter has been repaired, and the compressor of the air conditioner has been changed to Sanden, so we always run and maintain the condition on the assumption that "A car that can be used when you want to use it as a means of transportation". The reason why the body maintains its luster and there is no dullness on the plated part is because it is not operated in rainy weather except when it is suddenly rained. Of course, it was always kept in the garage, and even the small parts were thoroughly cleaned.

It's not that there are no weak points. There's a small dent in the right front and left rear bumper from your father's time, and There are a few minor bouncing stone scratches on the underside of the front grille and other areas. Also, the left front wheel is slightly scratched and the front tow hook is showing paint peeling. As for the interior, the driver's seat has light but scratches, and the steering pad has small cracks.

The hardtop was acquired after the current owner started to control it, and although it is painted with the same paint as the body, it is not possible to use the same clear as back then, and you won't notice it at all at first glance, but you may not notice it at all, but the color density may slightly differ depending on the amount of light. However, I didn't notice this until the current owner told me.

Also, this time we took a picture outside, and we did not take off the hard top and check the condition of the hood because we were afraid that it might get scratched by putting it on the ground after taking it off, but according to the current owner, "The clear part is beautiful, but there is a trace of repair on the fabric part, so I can't say that it is in good condition.".

But that's about it. I've been told, "Sometimes I really use it as a means of transportation.", but it is definitely in excellent condition for that. As for the dynamic part, he said, "I think now is the best time since I started managing." and the engine started up without any trouble on this day, and it also ran wonderfully smoothly while moving to the shooting location.

As for the tires, the 185 R 14 of Michelin MXV-P which is the same as the old genuine product is in almost new condition. It comes with a wrapper body cover, a spare front bumper that you get for free when you get a hardtop, a leather headrest, a weather strip, screen to prevent entanglement when open, and an external chain block carrier that you can use to remove the hardtop.

It is an elegant model that can be enjoyed as both a roadster and a coupe, which was born in the era when the "Best or Nothing" was reflected in reality, where no cost reduction was found. Like the current owner, I'm longing for a car that I can drive whenever I feel like it.