Mercedes-Benz W113 Pagoda by the Numbers: 230 SL vs 250 SL vs 280 SL Production, Specs and US Share
Daimler-Benz built 48,912 Pagodas between June 1963 and February 1971. That single figure hides three quite different cars, a one-year model most people forget, and a market split that matters a lot more today than it did when the cars were new.
Almost two in five went to the United States. For the last model it was more than half. If you’re shopping for a European-spec car, that changes the rarity picture completely.
Production by Year
| Model | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 230 SL | 1,465 | 6,911 | 6,325 | 4,945 | 185 | 19,831 | ||||
| 250 SL | 17 | 5,177 | 2 | 5,196 | ||||||
| 280 SL | 143 | 6,930 | 8,047 | 7,935 | 830 | 23,885 | ||||
| All W113 | 1,465 | 6,911 | 6,325 | 4,962 | 5,505 | 6,932 | 8,047 | 7,935 | 830 | 48,912 |
The peak came late. 1969 was the best year, six years into production, and 1970 came within about 100 cars of it. Demand was still near its peak when Mercedes replaced the Pagoda with the much heavier R107.
The 250 SL is essentially a 1967 car. Seventeen were built in December 1966 and two slipped into January 1968. Everything else came in one calendar year.
Who Got Them
| Model | Built | Sold in US | US share | Non-US cars | Share of all W113 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 230 SL | 19,831 | 4,752 | 24.0% | 15,079 | 40.5% |
| 250 SL | 5,196 | 1,761 | 33.9% | 3,435 | 10.6% |
| 280 SL | 23,885 | 12,927 | 54.1% | 10,958 | 48.8% |
| Total | 48,912 | 19,440 | 39.7% | 29,472 | 100% |
This is the table worth pinning above the desk. The 280 SL is the most-built Pagoda, but more than half went to America. Outside the US there were more 230 SLs delivered new (15,079) than 280 SLs (10,958).
And the 250 SL outside the US is the scarcest mainstream variant by a wide margin, at 3,435 cars.
Gray-market imports muddy this. Plenty of European cars crossed the Atlantic years after first delivery, so today’s US population is larger than the factory’s US delivery figures. The factory split still tells you what was specified and built for which market.
The Spec Sheet
| 230 SL | 250 SL | 280 SL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built | Jun 1963 - Jan 1967 | Dec 1966 - Jan 1968 | Dec 1967 - Feb 1971 |
| Chassis code | W113.042 | W113.043 | W113.044 |
| Engine | M127.II | M129.II | M130 |
| Bore x stroke (mm) | 82 x 72.8 | 82 x 78.8 | 86.5 x 78.8 |
| Displacement (cc) | 2,308 | 2,496 | 2,778 |
| Main bearings | 4 | 7 | 7 |
| Power (PS @ rpm) | 150 @ 5,500 | 150 @ 5,500 | 170 @ 5,750 |
| Torque (Nm @ rpm) | 196 @ 4,200 | 216 @ 4,200 | 240 @ 4,500 |
| Compression | 9.3:1 | 9.5:1 | 9.5:1 |
| Brakes | Front disc, rear drum | Discs all round | Discs all round |
| Fuel tank | 65 L | 82 L | 82 L |
| Top speed | 200 km/h | 195 km/h | 200 km/h |
| Fuel use (estimate) | 15.0 L/100 km | 16.0 L/100 km | 16.5 L/100 km |
| New price, Germany | 22,200 DM | 22,800 DM | 24,300 DM |
All three share the 2,400mm wheelbase, the swing-axle rear, recirculating ball steering and Bosch mechanical fuel injection.
What the Ratios Say
Raw specs make the 250 SL look like a sideways step. Same 150 PS, slower top speed, more fuel. The derived numbers explain why the 250 SL has its own following.
| Ratio | 230 SL | 250 SL | 280 SL |
|---|---|---|---|
| PS per litre | 65.0 | 60.1 | 61.2 |
| Nm per litre | 84.9 | 86.5 | 86.4 |
| Torque gain over 230 SL | Baseline | +10% | +22% |
| Price per PS (DM) | 148 | 152 | 143 |
| Share of W113 production | 40.5% | 10.6% | 48.8% |
The 230 SL had the highest specific output on paper, and that’s the problem. Its short-stroke engine was working hard for its rating, and period testing found production 230 SL engines rarely made more than about 143 PS. The 250 SL’s longer stroke gave up nothing on the rated peak and added 10% more torque at the same revs, plus seven main bearings and rear discs. It drove noticeably quicker in the real world.
The 280 SL got its extra displacement from a 4.5mm wider bore, which pushed the old M180-family block about as far as it would go. Mercedes had to add water passages between every cylinder and fit an oil cooler. It was also the cheapest Pagoda per horsepower when new.
One caveat on the 280 SL figure. US-market engines got emissions changes, including lower compression and softer valve timing, and dropped to 160 PS. More than half of all 280 SLs were built for the US.
The Rare Ones
| Configuration | Cars built |
|---|---|
| 280 SL with ZF 5-speed manual | 882 |
| 250 SL, US market | 1,761 |
| 250 SL, non-US | 3,435 |
| 230 SL, US market | 4,752 |
| 280 SL, non-US | 10,958 |
| 280 SL, US market | 12,927 |
The ZF S5-20 five-speed became an option in May 1966 and stayed available on the 250 SL and 280 SL. On the 280 SL it went into 3.7% of cars. After May 1969 it was only available on special request.
Of the configurations with published totals, the rarest is a 280 SL with the ZF box. The most common is a US-market 280 SL automatic.
That’s the same car the Pagoda became by the end: less sports car, more grand tourer, with air conditioning and white walls. The numbers show the market asked for it.