1967 Mercedes-Benz 250SL with both tops, non-running one-year-only Pagoda project

Why we picked it

This is a 1967 Mercedes-Benz 250SL, the one-year-only W113 with the 2.5-liter M129 six, Bosch mechanical fuel injection and four-wheel disc brakes. Beverly Hills Car Club lists it at $26,500 in red with an automatic, power steering, the factory removable hardtop and the soft top, and says it has just come out of long-term storage and is a non-running project. The listing mentions a numbers-matching hood but does not say the engine is original.

Pagodas in rough but running condition have been trading in the high $30s to low $40s, and running projects with rust have gone much higher. A non-running car should sell below those, but $26,500 leaves a real gap if the floors, rockers and subframe mounts are sound. The listing does not give mileage, title status or rust details, so treat the price as the start of an inspection, not a bargain on its own.

The value check

The seller is asking $26,500. Comparable cars in the same condition have sold for $35,000–$50,000, so the middle of the market is about $42,500. That put this car 38% under.

Rough, project-grade W113s have recently sold or been bid between about $35k and $43k (1966 230SL that failed inspection: $42,800 sold Sep 2025, $35,333 high bid Nov 2025), and a rusty, running 1970 280SL project brought $70,700 in May 2025. Against a conservative $35k-$50k range, $26,500 is about 38% under the $42.5k midpoint, but those comps all ran, so this non-running car deserves some discoun

Where the numbers come from:

• Hagerty Marketplace: 1966 230SL 4-speed, rough driver, sold $42,800 (Sep 2025)
• Hagerty Marketplace: same 230SL relisted, high bid $35,333, not sold (Nov 2025)
• Bring a Trailer: 1970 280SL project (rust, low compression on one cylinder), sold $70,700 (May 2025)

What to check

• Listing gives no mileage, title status or rust information; confirm a clean California title and the VIN on the body tag and data card before paying anything
• Sold as-is and non-running after long storage; budget for the Bosch injection pump, fuel tank and lines, brakes and cooling system
• W113 rust spots: front and rear valances, rocker panels, jack points, floor pans, battery tray, trunk floor and the front subframe mounts
• Ask whether the engine is original (only the hood is called numbers-matching) and do a compression test before buying
• Check the hardtop for cracks, seals and rust at the rear edge; a good hardtop alone is worth several thousand dollars

Making it drive like new

Most owners keep a Pagoda close to stock, so think light-touch: a rebuilt injection pump rather than a carb swap, a modern electronic ignition, an aluminum radiator with an electric fan, and fresh rubber subframe mounts and bushings. If you want highway comfort, a five-speed manual conversion kit exists, and modern A/C kits fit without cutting. Keep the original parts so the car can go back to stock.