The Mercedes-Benz SL made its debut on the race track in the spring of 1952. Two years later, at a time when the Silver Arrows returned to the Grand Prix scene, overnight, the gullwing 300SL production model redefined the GT car. With the smaller-engined 190SL made the sporting Mercedes a little more accessible to the enthusiastic driver, the 300SL Roadster took the place of the gullwing coupé in 1957, confirming the SL to be one of the most glamorous cars ever captured three-pointed star. With something of a reputation to live up to, the second generation SLs made their debut at the 1963 Geneva Show. The 230SL was a mainstream vehicle using off-the-shelf components, blending a strong sporting image with everyday practicality and the added bonus of a fuel-injected six to endow the new car with a technological spirit inherited from the 300SL. As Road & Track pointed out at the time the W113 series' debut: "The 230SL is a median between the 300SL and 190SL in almost all respects. The 170bhp injection engine of the 230SL offers performance between that of the 120bhp 190SL engine and the 250bhp 300SL powerplant. As a 'sports touring car', it has good roadability with sedan smoothness.

The interior is smart rather than luxurious, reflecting the functionalism associated with sports cars, although it is not quite as austere as that of true competition cars." In effect, Daimler-Benz brought the two extremes of SL motoring together in one reasonably priced machine, ideal for road use, but less suited to serious competition duty - at least on the track, where the 230SL would later prove itself to be a fine rally car. Although a very different-looking machine to its immediate predecessors, it perfectly captured the changing mood of the Swinging Sixties. The distinctive removable hardtop - the famous "Pagoda" roof - gave three body configurations (open, closed via the soft-top hood, or as a comfortable coupé with the hardtop in place), while the option of a manual or automatic transmission broadened its appeal still further, especially in the United States. The "Pagoda Roof SL" nomenclature carried over to the short-lived 250SL and the larger-engined 280SL variants that followed in quick succession during the late-1960s. Production finally came to an end in 1971 after a total of almost 50,000 W113-series cars had been built. This book tells the full production history of the Mercedes-Benz W113-series SL - one of the most desirable machines ever to emerge from Stuttgart. It covers all major markets, year by year, to give a definitive overview of the road cars, as well as a detailed look at the model in competition.

To complete the story, there's also a brief overview of the vehicle's replacement in the final chapter. Contemporary photography sourced from the factory and augmented by other material gathered from around the world ensures an excellent guide for those looking for originality. Extensive appendices are included, covering engine specifications, chassis numbers, build numbers, option codes, and so on.