Timeless' is an overused adjective when it comes to writing about old cars, but the Mercedes-Benz SLs of 1963-'71 are among a select group of vehicles that are truly deserving of it. People who were not even born when this magazine first started writing about W113 SLs in the early 1980s and perhaps have only a passing interest in old cars - instinctively recognise the 230/250/280SLs as objects of desire that transcend fleeting fashion.
Part sports car, part open-topped GT, this was the SL that set the tone for all subsequent Mercedes two-seaters. Fast but not aggressive, luxurious and easy to drive, it was a usefully compact and agile glamour machine that fulfilled the roles of Bond Street cruiser and intercity express with equal aplomb. This is a car that has simply never gone out of fashion with both men and women, but its reputation as the ultimate accessory for a leading lady is well earned. On screen it looked as desirable in supporting roles with Julie Christie (Darling) and Audrey Hepburn (Two for the Road) in its '60s heyday as it did with Helen Mirren behind the wheel in The Long Good Friday, 10 years after the last of almost 50,000 cars was built.
In all its forms, the W113 SL was enough of a driver's car to win the respect of 'serious' motorists (Stirling Moss loved his 250SL), while catching the attention of those wealthy individuals looking for a fun yet prestigious second car: a car that would keep its looks and hold its value long after its more ephemerally exotic '60s rivals had fallen by the wayside.
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Denne historien er fra June 2023-utgaven av Classic & Sports Car.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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A Breath of Fresh Air- Alfa Romeo's exotic, V8-powered Montreal was like nothing the marque had made before, but can it compare with a Porsche masterpiece, the 911S 2.4?
The stereotype of the ItaloGermanic automotive rivalry is that the Latin car will be brilliant to drive, but poorly built and ergonomically flawed, while the Teutonic will be the opposite. Yet these 2+2 sports coupés both ran against orthodoxy. In the Montreal, Alfa Romeo created an outlandish-looking two-door more comfortable, more powerful and more refined than anything it had produced for decades. Meanwhile, Porsche continued to refine its back-to-front, austere and increasingly aged 911. Neither took a traditional development path, but both created thrilling and individual cars that have echoed through the decades.
Daring to be diminutive
AMC's Gremlin and Pacer, and Ford's much-derided Pinto, led America's response to the threat of imported European compacts
THE LONG WAY ROUND
There is a great tradition of overland trips by Land-Rover, but the tale of this 70s Aussie epic and the car itself was discovered by chance
Handsome cab
The Phantom V limousine marked the beginning of the end for coachbuilder James Young, but this Rolls-Royce represents the craft at its very best
DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES
Racing for their own F1 teams brought some drivers success and an enduring legacy. For others, it turned into a nightmare
20 30 LITRES CYLINDERS, 400BHP......AND MORE THAN A CENTURY OLD
Thunderous torque, flame-spitting stub-exhausts, white-knuckle thrills - and hopefully no spills - aboard a trio of Edwardian racing titans
ICON.
The three top-selling vehicles in the USA in 2023 were pick-ups, topped by the Ford F-Series. This is the truck that started it all
Blurred Lines
lan 'Del' Lines blended the V8 burble of Triumph's open GT with real practicality in his Stag V8 saloons and estates
Home of the brave
The innovative Silverstone proved a hit with keen amateur drivers. To mark its 75th, Healey's club racer returns to the circuit for which it is named
PLAYING ALL THE ANGLES
Alfa Romeo's wild RZ eschewed the jellymould styling of the period to offer a striking, wedge-shaped take on open-topped performance motoring
