1971 280SL manual RHS

[jeffcox74]

Am searching for a 1971 280SL, manual, right hand steer (to comply with Australian roads)Can anyone confirm how many were built, and if so, number that were imported to Australia.

                          Appreciate any advice.

[paza]

hi mate, have a look at the auto warehouse on parramatta rd in camperdown.

here is the link:
http://www.drive.com.au/used-cars/MERCEDES-BENZ/280+SL/Sydney/detail.aspx?id=11159304&lid=11159304&pg=1&pp=14&d=0&nv=1&SG=-1069587065&pt=1

Try it on drive.com as well, there are a few 280 sl manuals down in victoria...

good luck

pat

[jeffcox74]

hi mate, have a look at the auto warehouse on parramatta rd in camperdown.

here is the link:
http://www.drive.com.au/used-cars/MERCEDES-BENZ/280+SL/Sydney/detail.aspx?id=11159304&lid=11159304&pg=1&pp=14&d=0&nv=1&SG=-1069587065&pt=1

Try it on drive.com as well, there are a few 280 sl manuals down in victoria...

good luck

pat

Thanks for reply.I really want to find out if any such models were actually imported into Australia (or exported to Australia, depending on where you are) as "Australian delivery", as there were apparently only 830? made that year. If not, I am happy to import

[franjo_66]

Thanks for reply.I really want to find out if any such models were actually imported into Australia (or exported to Australia, depending on where you are) as "Australian delivery", as there were apparently only 830? made that year. If not, I am happy to import

There were definitely RHD W113s exported to Australia and this is reflected on the datacards (country code). Mine is an Australian-ordered and delivered W113 (230SL). There were definitely 250 & 280SLs that were Australian delivered. Not sure about the numbers though. Would be good to know what reference/website/etc you could use to get statistics like that. I'd be interested to know how many RHD W113s were made overall

Rgds
Franjo

[Richard Madison]

Quote: "...as there were apparently only 830? made that year"

In Calendar Year 1971 (January 1971 to March 1971) 830 Pagodas were made but the 1971 Model Year started began July 1970. "1971" model cars were produced from July 1970 until Pagoda production stopped in March 1971. From July 70 to March 71, about 4,500 "1971" Pagodas were produced.

Some sellers imply that 1971 Pagodas are somewhat "rare" as only 830 were made but this is not correct. The sellers are referring only to the 1971 Calendar Year production and are not including the Model Year production of 1971 Pagodas.

Richard M, NYC

[Benz Dr.]

This is hardly acurate but it might give you some idea.

 There were about 26,000 190SL's built. I believe there were roughly 1,500 RHD units made. Oddly there were also 6 units made in Mexico as partly knocked down cars but I digress.

 There were just shy of 50,000 pagodas built some as a rough number figure about 3,000 RHD cars. Now, if you were to find a 280SL RHD with 5 speed I think you's have something kind of special. It would deffinately be all right. ( lol )

I know that the 300SE were about 5,000 cars. I've been told there were about 150 - 200 were made in RHD so they're very rare cars. As a rule of thumb, for propduction back in the 60's figure on about 5% of total production.

[jeffcox74]

There were definitely RHD W113s exported to Australia and this is reflected on the datacards (country code). Mine is an Australian-ordered and delivered W113 (230SL). There were definitely 250 & 280SLs that were Australian delivered. Not sure about the numbers though. Would be good to know what reference/website/etc you could use to get statistics like that. I'd be interested to know how many RHD W113s were made overall

Rgds
Franjo

Thanks Franjo, I will pursue the figures, another respondent suggests about5% of Mercedes Benz production is RHS, and considering only 50,000 Pagodas in total, only 2,500 RHS. I will post any significant findings,
                Regards,
                             Jeff Cox.

[jeffcox74]

Quote: "...as there were apparently only 830? made that year"

In Calendar Year 1971 (January 1971 to March 1971) 830 Pagodas were made but the 1971 Model Year started began July 1970. "1971" model cars were produced from July 1970 until Pagoda production stopped in March 1971. From July 70 to March 71, about 4,500 "1971" Pagodas were produced.

Some sellers imply that 1971 Pagodas are somewhat "rare" as only 830 were made but this is not correct. The sellers are referring only to the 1971 Calendar Year production and are not including the Model Year production of 1971 Pagodas.

Thanks Richard,  another respondent suggested 5% of production was RHS, meaning the 1971 model had 225 RHS. Now I need to find the ratio of manual to automatic. Would seem a RHS, manual exported to Australia might be rare or not in existence!

                  Thanks again for your valuable input.
             Regards,   Jeff Cox.

[jeffcox74]

This is hardly acurate but it might give you some idea.

 There were about 26,000 190SL's built. I believe there were roughly 1,500 RHD units made. Oddly there were also 6 units made in Mexico as partly knocked down cars but I digress.

 There were just shy of 50,000 pagodas built some as a rough number figure about 3,000 RHD cars. Now, if you were to find a 280SL RHD with 5 speed I think you's have something kind of special. It would deffinately be all right. ( lol )

I know that the 300SE were about 5,000 cars. I've been told there were about 150 - 200 were made in RHD so they're very rare cars. As a rule of thumb, for propduction back in the 60's figure on about 5% of total production.

Thanks Dan, your suggestions would indeed indicate a RHS manual 1971 SL would be a rare find! Doubt whether many, or any, would have been exported to the southern hemisphere. might have to import one.
                            regards,  Jeffrey Cox.

[franjo_66]

Jeff, have a look at the following web link. It is for a RHD, manual 280SL here in NSW. Apparently has all documentation & history

http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/dealer/details.aspx?R=7056925&YearFromShort=1630&__Qpb=true&Cr=1&__Ns=pCar_RankSort_Int32%7c1%7c%7cpCar_Price_Decimal%7c1%7c%7cpCar_Make_String%7c0%7c%7cpCar_Model_String%7c0&silo=1011&YearToShort=1662&__N=1216%201247%201282%201252%201090%204294964270%201630%201662&seot=0&__Nne=15&trecs=10&__sid=1217DAD0658D

There are a few other manual 280SLs on the www.carsales.com.au site

Rgds
Franjo

[Garry]

Gee, so my RHD genuine data carded 5 speed 280SL in Australia is a rare beast. Well it did come from Scotland I gota admit. Now if only I could find a 5 speed gear box!     Now I can justify to my wife more dollars in the search!!!  Just kidding, I don't mind if all those 5 speed gear boxes have been pilfered for non conforming modifications.

[JamesL]

Dan

Hen'sTeeth = RHD 250SL with 5 speed

I think I am right in saying that the UK guys know of one in Anthracite (from Brooklands last year)

and on the w108 3.5s I think there were 240 odd coupes made and 70 odd cabrios in RHD

[Naj ✝︎]

Dan

Hen'sTeeth = RHD 250SL with 5 speed

I think I am right in saying that the UK guys know of one in Anthracite (from Brooklands last year)

There was a RHD 250 SL with 5 spd and sunroof in hard top in light metallic green for sale in Surrey for about 5 months for 25K. Has disappeared off the listing in the last couple of weeks.

naj

[Richard Madison]

Manual and Auto transmissions on 1971 Pagodas:

My informal spreadsheet of Pagodas gathered from Ebay, Hemmings, and other sales websites lists 80 1971 cars. 7 have VIN numbers for Manual transmission.

The Registry of Cars on this website has about 56 1971 cars. My rough count shows 6 are manual transmission cars.

Both of these tabulations indicate that only about 10% of the 1971 Pagodas were Manual transmission cars. This includes LHD and RHD cars.

We should not apply this percentage to earlier model years as the percentage of manual cars was much higher in the first few years of production...and I suspect that in any year of production, Euro version cars had more manual trannies than USA version cars.
 
Richard M, NYC: Chief Pagoda Statistician   )

[jeffcox74]

Dear Richard M,
                    Thanks for the stats, I am beginning to piece together the puzzle. Please advise what you think of my calculations;
Dan Caron (earlier respondent) has advised 50,000 1971 SL models were produced, of these he suggests 5% were RHD, and he estimates this figure to be 3,000.

                     If we assume 3,000 RHD, 10% estimated as manual results in 300 produced. Are you aware of an "attrition" rate, ie a rate or number per year that are written off (ie accident or fire etc) or physically depreciate and subsequently wrecked or stripped for parts.
                    Of the 300 (or less after natural attrition), I need to know how many were exported to Australia (I assume UK and Sth Africa were a bigger market), as I want to find an Australia delivery specimen. If not I will conceed to importing.

                   Greatly appreciate your input.

[Peter van Es]

There were not 51000 1971 280SL's -- there were 48912 Pagoda's (230 SL, 250 SL and 280 SLs) produced in total over a 9 year period. Check the Production Statistics in the Technical Manual.

Peter

[Dahlknudsen]

well the stats say, that 38 were exported to other countries than US in real productions year 1971. So I would say it will be very hard to find a Australia delivery which also has a manual gearbox, if any. They must know if there were ever any delivered at the mercedes center in germany. Find one in the UK, have seen some in the for sale section on this site...

good luck.