Minneapolis Street Sighting: Mercedes Benz W113 230SL

I suppose I need to feature one of my favorite cars again, no? I have always liked the Mercedes SL-series roadsters and coupes, particularly those made before 1972. From that point on, the SL just got worse and worse, styling-wise, and eventually, you end up with what he have today. Before the R107, the Mercedes SL was quite the attractive car--as were most Mercedes Benz products. Aside from the obvious W198 cars, the W113 comes in a  very close second place as one of my favorite Mercedes vehicles ever produced.

Introduced in 1963, and living till 1967, the 230s were the first iteration of the W113 for America; the car would later go on to become the 250SL, and eventually the 280SL, the most common "name" for the classic SL. Just like the newer cars, this generation is, too, avialable in a hardtop and convertible guise, and looks great in either.

Minneapolis is sort of a hotbed for these cars, especially in recent years. With every SL in okay shape, I spot at least one "pretty nice" one, and there are a few gorgeous ones. Basking in the sun along Lake street, this example fit into the best category of them all; a pristine car that is cherished by its owner, as I have seen it a number of times--only on nice days--and obviously only with the top down. But who am I to complain?

Like most classic Mercedes of this vintage, this SL is stunning. Sure, the white over brown/black probably isn't as fetching as silver over red, but hey, this car generally works in almost any color combination one chooses. Cream definitely works here, as it showcases the lines of this fine German roadster to no end--I usually dig these is darker colors, but this one is presented extremely well. I also dig the painted-center hubcaps, which don't often look right on lighter colored cars. Here, they work great.

Inside, this precious roadster was immaculate like no-one's business; almost as if it actually is reserved for nice days. No trash or other marking marred the interior; again further proof that the owner babies his or her vehicle. I'm a tad confused by the driver's side sunvisor, but hey, this car is supposedly driver-oriented--something that can't be said of today's Mercs, roadsters or not.

All in all, such a wonderful car, and even better that no one was around to harass me whilst shooting it; I'm proud of this set of pictures, and I'm proud that they turned out well.