‘See: the 280 SL really was a piece of art.

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‘So many celebrity names have been turned on by the car with the ‘pagoda roof‘: the model Kate Moss; the legendary Beatle John Lennon; the actors Sophia Loren, John Travolta (who owned a Havana Brown 1970 280 SL which was stolen in September 2011) and Peter Ustinov; the master racing driver Stirling Moss; and the late statesman Colin Powell. ‘It’s a beautiful car, with a dark-blue hard top,’ said Powell, a man of taste, of his 280 SL. ‘My wife loves to drive it; it’s really a gift to her…It runs just like it did 40-odd years ago when it was built.’

‘In fact, it is hardly surprising that it would appeal to supermodel Kate Moss or to Sophia Loren or Priscilla Presley: there is something indefinably feminine about the graceful design of the car. But it wasn’t simply the look of the car but what was beneath the hood: that powerpack straight six engine sitting potently on top of an unassailably strong chassis.

‘Available in its factory color code #717 Papyrus White with a blue interior, the vehicle comes equipped with a 4-speed manual transmission, power steering, matching numbers hood, spot welds, fender notches, steel wheels, and Mercedes-Benz hub caps. Also included with this vehicle are the original owner’s manual and service booklet (stamps included). This 280SL had the same owner since 1973, and is an extremely desirable Mercedes that has just come out of the dry desert state of New Mexico and is mechanically sound.

‘Mercedes-Benz introduced the 280 SL in December 1967 and continued production of it until February 23 1971; it was replaced by the entirely new and substantially heavier Mercedes-Benz 350 SL. The 280 SL had a 6-cylinder 2.8 liter fuel-injected engine which produced 170hp and a top speed of 125 mph.

‘The ‘SL’ term originates in the German Sport-Leicht – which translates into English as Sport Light.

‘Going back to 1959, Mercedes-Benz had sold several models with the ‘SL’ model name. In 1963 the 230 SL had been brought in: this was the first sighting of that distinctive concave roofline termed the ‘pagoda top’; and the car was powered by a 2.3-liter six-cylinder inline engine.

‘Then, in 1967, the engine was enlarged to 2.5 liters, and the 230 SL was renamed – unsurprisingly – as the 250 SL. Changes were made to the interior: new dashboard padding, switches and knobs, steering wheel, and door pockets. The next year came a further enlarging of the engine, to 2.8 liters. The car was accordingly renamed the 280 SL. Of the 23,885 280 SLs made, more than 1/2 were sold in the US.

‘During the just over three years that the 280 SL was in production there was a sequence of smallish changes to the car. In January 1968, just over a month from the car’s arrival, one piece wheel-covers appeared; in October that year US models received sealed beam headlights; in February 1969 the 280 SL started to feature new tail lights with amber turn signals; in July that year US models were fitted with transistorized ignition and improved emission control; and a month later the hardtop version of the 280 SL was given a heated rear window, hazard lights appeared on all models, there was a single unified key for all locks, and US models were fitted with illuminated side reflectors.

‘The Mercedes-Benz 280 SL is one of the most reliable and sturdy models ever produced by the German car firm; and simultaneously the quintessence of refinement.

‘Stunningly attractive, it is an iconic luxury car, one of unmatched versatility, a reflection of an age when taste and grace were considered the core of sophistication.

‘Hardly surprising then that with such attributes the Mercedes-Benz 280 SL has become a permanent piece of art at Elvis Presley’s home of Gracelands.

-Alex Manos, Owner