Mercedes-Benz W113
| Mercedes-Benz W113 230 SL, 250 SL, 280 SL |
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| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Mercedes-Benz |
| Production | 1963–1971 48,912 built |
| Assembly | Stuttgart Untertürkheim, Germany |
| Designer |
Paul Bracq Béla Barényi Friedrich Geiger |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Sports car, GT (S) |
| Body style | 2 door coupé 2-door roadster |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Platform | Mercedes-Benz W111 |
| Related |
Mercedes-Benz W108 Mercedes-Benz W109 Mercedes-Benz W112 |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 2,308 cc (2.3 L) M127.II SOHC I6 2,496 cc (2.5 L) M129.II SOHC I6 2,778 cc (2.8 L) M130 SOHC I6 |
| Transmission | 4-speed automatic 4-speed manual 5-speed manual (ZF S5-20) |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,400 mm (94.5 in) |
| Length | 4,285 mm (168.7 in) |
| Width | 1,760 mm (69.3 in) |
| Height | 1,305 mm (51.4 in) |
| Curb weight | 1,300 kg (2,866 lb) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor |
Mercedes-Benz W198 Mercedes-Benz W121 BII |
| Successor | Mercedes-Benz R107 |
The Mercedes-Benz W 113 is a two-seat roadster/coupé, introduced at the 1963 Geneva Motor Show, and produced from 1963 through 1971. It replaced both the legendary 300 SL (W 198) and the 190 SL (W 121 BII). Of the 48,912 W 113 SLs produced, 19,440 were sold in the US.
The W 113 SL was developed under the auspices of Mercedes-Benz Technical Director Fritz Nallinger, Chief Engineer Rudolf Uhlenhaut and Head of Styling Friedrich Geiger. The lead designers were Paul Bracq and Béla Barényi, who created its distinctive, patented, slightly concave hardtop, which inspired the "Pagoda" nickname.
All models were equipped with an inline-six cylinder engine with multi-port fuel injection. The bonnet, trunk lid, door skins and tonneau cover were made of aluminum to reduce weight. The comparatively short and wide chassis, combined with an excellent suspension, powerful brakes and radial tires gave the W 113 superb handling for its time. The styling of the front, with its characteristic upright Bosch "fishbowl" headlights and simple chrome grille, dominated by the large three-pointed star in the nose panel, paid homage to the then already legendary 300 SL roadster.
W 113 SLs were typically configured as a "Coupe/Roadster" with a soft-top and an optional removable hardtop. A 2+2 was introduced with the 250 SL "California Coupe," which had a fold-down rear bench seat instead of the soft-top.
By 1955, Mercedes-Benz Technical Director Prof. Fritz Nallinger and his team held no illusions regarding the 190 SL's lack of performance, while the high price tag of the legendary 300 SL supercar kept it elusive for all but the most affluent buyers. Thus Mercedes-Benz started evolving the 190 SL on a new platform, model code W127, with a fuel-injected 2.2 liter M127 inline-six engine, internally denoted as 220SL. Encouraged by positive test results, Nallinger proposed that the 220SL be placed in the Mercedes-Benz program, with production commencing in July 1957.
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