Last Auto Reviews Blog: alameda

1968 Mercedes-Benz 280SL [Down On The Street]

Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles found parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot: Alameda, California. We've seen a couple of Mercedes-Benz SLs here- this '82 380SL and this '87 560SL, but it's been a challenge to find a W113 on the island. Finally, I spotted this beautiful example parked in front of Pagano's Hardware, just around the corner from the '69 Chevy Nomad.

I was buying bamboo stakes for the punji pits in my front yard at the time- hey, got to be ready for the Financiapocalypse- so I didn't have my good camera on hand. Fortunately, my cellphone has a not-too-crappy camera built in. Then the owner emerged from the store, but fortunately he was proud enough of his car that he was willing to wait while I photographed it. He'd been shopping around for a restored SL for a few years and he finally found the one he wanted. Yes, it's his daily driver.

The 280SL roadster would have set you back $6,485 back in 1968. That's $350 more than a brand-new Crown Imperial convertible, more than twice as much as a '68 GTO convertible, and way more than twice as much as a Datsun Fairlady roadster. But I'm willing to bet that a majority of '68 380SLs are still alive today, unlike those other cars.

First 350 DOTS Vehicles • DOTS FAQ

Welcome to Down On The Street , where we admire old vehicles found parked ...

Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles found parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot: Alameda, California. Today's car is one I'm quite familiar with, since it's now sitting in my back yard. No, it isn't my current Personal Hell Project; I'm helping Czech automotive journalist Bobash realize his dream of terrorizing quaint Central European villages with an ocean-liner-scale Fuselage Look Mopar. You may recall the '81 Corvette I inspected for BobAsh a while back; that car is now roaring around the Czech Republic in all its Late Malaise glory.

This car was a one-owner, estate-sale find. The late owner was a San Francisco chiropractor who garaged it, had it serviced on the dot, and (apparently) never allowed anyone to sit inside. It's got a few minor dings and dents, but almost everything works and the (purple whorehouse-esque) interior is the nicest I've ever seen on an unrestored 90,000-mile car.
It's not what you would ever call fast, but the 335-horse 440 gets its 4,855 pounds moving pretty well. Yes, this voluminous dreadnaught is almost - but not quite- a thousand pounds heavier than the bloatmaster 2010 Camaro SS.
I'll be bringing this mighty luxury machine over to the Port Of Oakland for shipping to Bremerhaven as soon as all the spare parts I've ordered finally arrive. Don't feel bad about its leaving the country of its birth; it shall be worshiped as a god in its new home!