Mercedes-Benz 230 SL Pagoda Is A Gem Nobody Wants Bad Enough

Over the course of its history, German carmaker Mercedes-Benz gave birth to some truly amazing and iconic vehicles. For some, the 230 SL Pagoda is part of that list, but apparently not quite cool enough to warrant spending a small fortune on it at auction.
 

The 230 SL Pagoda is a two-seat roadster made by the Germans from 1963 to 1967. It’s nicknamed Pagoda on account of its concave hardtop roof, a really stylish design choice back in the day and one that looks amazing to this day.
 
Like pretty much all the other open top cars ever made, the Pagoda was not really a hot seller in its time, but it did speak volumes to the select few that can cherish this type of car.
 
This particular vehicle traveled quite a lot during its life, crossing the ocean to reach Virginia and later heading back to Belgium. It is there where someone saw fit to spend 50,000 euros ($52,500) on a restoration process that saw the car end up in the condition you see it here in.
 

Packing the original drivetrain, comprising a 2.3-liter straight-six engine and a 4-speed manual transmission and developing 148 hp, the Pagoda comes in white on the outside and two-tone tan leather upholstery inside. The luxurious-looking interior also boasts a white steering wheel for a classy feel, a wood-trimmed center console to match the upholstery, an equally tan dashboard in leather and backed by white front paneling, a wooden inner windscreen frame, and VDO dials.
 
The Mercedes spun its 14-inch steel wheels (with body-colored hub caps and wrapped in Vitour Galaxy tires) for just 1,600 km (994 miles) since restoration work on it was completed, and it can now be found in the Netherlands.
 
It was recently listed for sale on the lot of Collecting Cars, probably with a reserve. It was offered complete with “a 1999 Virginia Certificate of Title, correspondence from the Belgian Mercedes-Benz club, a Car-Pass document, and a raft of maintenance and restoration invoices.”
 

People found it particularly interesting, as at the end of the bidding war 50 offers for the 230 SL had been submitted. None of them was high enough for the Merc to achieve a successful sale, so if you now go to the listing, a bid Unsold mark is written all over this car.
 
Although we’re not told how much the reserve was, it was probably high enough to make up for at least part of the money spent on its restoration. Too high, it seems, for the people wishing for it, but probably a hell of a lot less than what others of this kind are going for.
 
For reference, keep in mind that valuation expert Hagerty puts the price of a concours condition 1964 Mercedes-Benz 230 SL at $172,000.