Fast-forwarding to the early 1980s, in that imminent first wave of nostalgia, the Mercedes-Benz Pagoda was the car of choice – the quintessence of cool – for the swinging set that then emerged in London’s newly fashionable Soho district.

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As the likes of Boy George and Tina Turner swanned out of the Soho Brasserie on Old Compton Street, was this where a passing young Kate Moss, a future Pagoda owner, would have appreciated the undisputed flair of the car’s low waistline, its large curved greenhouse windows, its detachable hardtop, and its power-packed engine?

Place yourself there, if you will, through the magical time-machine of Beverly Hills Car Club and the 1965 Mercedes-Benz 230SL Pagoda that we presently have on sale. Our Pagoda, finished in Arabian Grey complemented by its exquisite red interior, comes with 2 tops, including a removable Pagoda hardtop and a black convertible soft top.

Under the hood, this luxury classic is powered by a fuel-injected 2.3L M127 inline six-cylinder engine paired with an automatic transmission. Our 230SL is equipped with power steering, dual exhaust outlets, two-spoke steering wheel with horn, VDO instrumentation, chrome trim, chrome bumpers, body-color dashboard, whiteline tires, 14-inch steel wheels with Mercedes-Benz hubcaps, and a full-size spare tire. Convenience features include a bucket seats, driver-side rearview mirror, manual crank windows, an analog clock, a center console, door pockets, and AM/FM radio.

This iconic Pagoda roadster represents the perfect blend of luxury, performance, and style that defined the golden era of Mercedes-Benz engineering. The example we have at Beverly Hills Car Club is an excellent opportunity to acquire a highly collectible W113 SL that is mechanically sound.

On account of its slightly concave and very distinctive hardtop, designed by Paul Bracq and Bela Bareyi and part of the W 113 model series, the 280SL was dubbed the ‘Pagoda’: although in Asia, a pagoda is a generic term for a place of worship, drivers of the Mercedes-Benz 280SL would certainly genuflect to the beautifully achieved vision of the vehicle.

The W 113 model series consisted of three separate cars: the 230SL Pagoda, produced from 1963 until 1967; the 250SL, from 1967 to 1968, for which the 2.3 liter six-cylinder inline engine was enlarged to 2.5 liters; and – the crème de la crème – the 280SL, manufactured from 1968 until 1971, with the engine enlarged again to 2.8 liters, when the 250 SL transmogrified into the 280 SL.

The W 113 SL, which came with safety specifications that were unsurpassed in its day, was developed under the auspices of Mercedes-Benz Technical Director Fritz Nallinger, Chief Engineer Rudolf Uhlenhaut and Head of Styling Friedrich Geiger. The Mercedes-Benz SL series followed on from the hugely popular and spectacularly beautiful 190 SL and the 300 SL models.

Against all the odds, this luxury roadster also became a bestseller: almost 49,000 were sold between 1963 and 1971, most of them being shipped to the USA, where it especially conquered the sunshine state of California. Not only was its powerful six-cylinder engine an attraction, but one that blended perfectly with a design that featured both classic and avant garde elements.

All three vehicles in the W 113 model series were built to exceptional standards: from cast-aluminum door shells to individually numbered alloy bonnets, trunk-lids, hood covers and door skins.

Ahead of its time in the combination of sporting performance and touring comfort, it can appear a delicate vehicle, until you appreciate that it was also a masterful endurance rally car, as it proved when winning the gruelling 1964 Spa-Sofia-Liège. The W 113 model series has a more loyal fan base than virtually any other Mercedes-Benz SL. Like all the SL model series, over the years it has become a motoring legend.

It was not just a pretty face. The 230SL Pagoda could reach 0 to 62 mph in 11.10 seconds and had a top speed of 124 mph.

Then as now, the Pagoda is practical in day-to-day life. This explains why the luxury sports car became an outright bestseller and not just in the USA where it conquered the sunshine state of California in particular. The model series W 113 from Mercedes-Benz is still a cool companion on a daily basis and looks just as smooth and laid-back on the way to the office as on a weekend excursion.

And if the weather is less good, the occupants will be protected by the fabric roof or, during the cooler months, the optional coupé roof (equipment code 416)

– which gives the 4.28-meter-long SL its nickname as well as its own distinctive character.

-Alex Manos, Owner