MERCEDES 280sl:

The 230 SL, 250 SL, and 280 SL Roadsters
The W 113 Chassis SL's
The three Mercedes 113 chassis SL models were: the 230 SL, the 250 SL, and the 280 SL:

230 SL 1963 to 1966 19,831 cars
250 SL 1966 to 1968 5,196 cars
280 SL 1967 to 1971 23,885 cars
These three models all shared the same "W 113" chassis. (The "W" is from "Wagen".) Since a chassis more or less dictates the major design configuration of the cars built on that chassis, these three cars share many features and many parts in common. In parts catalogs, in books, the three cars are usually grouped together. While to the casual observer the three cars appear nearly identical, owners of W 113 cars are very aware of the differences in the three models and are often quite partial to their choice.

Mercedes owners often refer to the chassis number when discussing a car or ordering parts. "I have a 280 SL", one will say. "Which one?" The reply might be "It's a 113." This avoids confusing car models having the same designation that may be years apart and are unrelated. One Mercedes 280 SL (the one we discuss here) is from the late 1960's. Another Mercedes 280 SL is from the mid-1970's. The two cars do not share the same chassis and are quite different. The later 280SL is a 107 chassis car mentioned below.

The Pagoda Roof
The W 113 SL's (230SL, 250SL, 280SL) are sometimes called "Pagoda" cars. This refers to the shape of the hardtop roof. The roof center is slightly lower than the sides reminiscent of the shape of a Japanese Style Pagoda. The sides of the roof were raised a bit to allow easier entry and exit, to permit larger side windows, and to increase roof strength. This same Pagoda roofline was carried into the next generation of SL's.