{"id":2257,"date":"2022-02-06T11:48:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-06T09:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/?p=2257"},"modified":"2024-03-26T18:48:36","modified_gmt":"2024-03-26T16:48:36","slug":"mercedes-w113-sl-a-controversial-design-idea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/benz-books.com\/blog\/2257\/mercedes-w113-sl-a-controversial-design-idea\/","title":{"rendered":"Mercedes W113 SL, a controversial design idea"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Mercedes W113 SL: At the end of the 1950s, Mercedes customers never had it so good, when it came to open motoring in style. For the truly luxury inclined, a big and luxurious four-door cabriolet was available in form of the most expensive car, Daimler-Benz had to offer, the 300d Cabriolet<\/a>.<\/strong> In 1959 the car found 23 customers, who were willing to pay DM37,000 (US$9,250) for the automatic version. If you thought that a luxury cabriolet should never have more than two doors, the 220SE<\/a> Ponton Cabriolet was the right choice for you and could be bought for DM23,400 ($5,850). In that year, around 270 customers made themselves very happy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the fast and furious, the 300SL<\/a> Roadster was the ultimate driving machine. 211 units were sold in 1959 at a price of DM34,000 ($8,500), hardtop included. If you liked the looks of the SL but preferred something more docile, the 190SL<\/a> could be yours for DM17,650 ($4,410), again hardtop included. 3,949 buyers liked this concept in 1959.<\/p>\n\n\n

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In mid-1963, that world had changed completely. None of these cars existed anymore. All four cars have been great for the image, but except for the 190SL<\/a>, none of them had made the company much money. The company had accepted that, because they were needed to bring back the image the company had enjoyed before WWII.<\/p>\n\n\n

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If there would be a new SL, and the 190SL<\/a> was living proof that such a car could be sold in reasonable numbers, it had to be based on technology and parts from the sedans in order to make it profitable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mercedes W113 SL, a controversial design idea<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When the Mercedes W113<\/a> SL was introduced in the early 1960s, this was a prosperous era with many different open car models to choose from. Mercedes was faced with the difficult task of replacing both the mighty 300SL<\/a> and 190SL<\/a> with a single successor. And to generate some excitement before the official launch at the Geneva Motor Show<\/a> on March 14, 1963, management decided it would be a good idea to show the W113 to a select group of journalists before the event. That way, their stories would be out before the car’s official release date, and the public would be even more interested. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, before the car was shown, no journalist knew whether it would be a new 300SL<\/a> or a new 190SL<\/a>. Naturally, they hoped for the former. When Professor Fritz Nallinger<\/a>, chief engineer and member of the Daimler-Benz<\/a> board, unveiled the 230SL<\/a>, it was a bit of a shock for some of them. The roof was rather unusual, to say the least. But it was not only the roof that was surprising. It was also the engine capacity of the car. A 2.3 liter sports car? And for such a price?<\/p>\n\n\n

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The Pagoda roof of the Mercedes W113 SL, once criticized, today it is its most distinctive feature<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, the Daimler-Benz management knew what they were doing. The 300SL<\/a> was a perfect image booster, but it never made any money for the company, on the contrary. The 190SL Benz, on the other hand, was considered a bit too slow. So the new 230SL<\/a> was conceived as a high performance touring sports car with excellent handling that could carry two passengers and their luggage in style, comfort and above all safety. Add to that Mercedes-Benz quality and they thought the car would sell quite well. So well, in fact, that they targeted an export share of nearly 80 percent!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Mercedes W113 SL gets an unusual roof<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

But the roof took some getting used to. Erich Waxenberger<\/a>, an engineer in Rudolf Uhlenhaut’s department, thought at first that a tree must have fallen on the top of the car. But it was not by chance that Mercedes safety guru Bela Barenyi<\/a> came up with the idea of testing a concave roof design. He first had it tested on a limousine to be used as a platform for photographers to get an elevated view when taking pictures. He then turned to his colleague Paul Bracq<\/a> to come up with a design that could be manufactured. Then he had to sell the idea to the board. This was one of the more difficult tasks. So they turned to their boss, Karl Wilfert<\/a>. Extremely strong-willed, he was known for making the impossible possible.<\/p>\n\n\n

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That the roof was a bit of an aerodynamic nightmare was conveniently overlooked. It just looked good, and today everyone with even the slightest interest in cars knows the name Mercedes SL Pagoda. Mercedes by the way never officially called the car “Pagoda”. The name first appeared in Austrian and French magazines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pagoda SL comes with modern amenities<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Although many of the technical features of the car were already known, it was the combination and improvements that made the car special. The chassis featured recirculating ball steering and a dual-circuit braking system. Girling disc brakes<\/a> were mounted on the front axle, while vacuum-assisted Alfin drums<\/a> were used on the rear axle. For the first time such a car could be ordered with power steering and, most surprising for most European journalists, an automatic transmission. Shocking!<\/p>\n\n\n

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Not only the press was surprised, but also most European customers. For them, a sports car with an automatic transmission was simply unthinkable. So it was no wonder that only a few automatic Mercedes SL were sold in Europe. Americans of course thought differently, most of their cars were equipped with automatic transmissions, so this extra for the Mercedes SL made perfect sense to them. And since the North American market was essential to the success of the car, it had to be offered.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The 2,308\u00a0cc\u00a0M127.II<\/a>\u00a0inline-six<\/a>\u00a0engine produced 150\u00a0hp at 5,500 rpm and 196\u00a0Nm (145\u00a0lb?ft) of maximum torque at 4,200 rpm. It was based on the old M180<\/a> engine with four main bearings and mechanical\u00a0Bosch\u00a0six-plunger\u00a0fuel injection<\/a>. The engine had been seen first in the 220 W187<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Standard equipment was a four-speed manual transmission with a 3.75:1 ratio. It was the same as in the 220SE<\/a> Sedan, but with a shorter first gear for faster acceleration. As this was not universally appreciated, the manual transmission was adopted for the new 250S\/SE in 1965.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is a brief chronology of the changes that occured during the 230SL production:<\/p>\n\n\n\n