Stirling Moss’ unique Mercedes for sale

By special request

This is the late, great Sir Stirling Moss’ Mercedes-Benz SL – and it is for sale.

And, perhaps unsurprisingly, being a car first owned by motor-racing royalty means it is no ordinary example.

This Pagoda Mercedes will go under the hammer with Silverstone Auctions at its The Classic Sale on Saturday 27 August 2022.

Join us as we reveal the story of Moss’ personal SL.

Racing roots

Now, when we said it was Stirling Moss’ SL, you could be forgiven for thinking this was what we meant.

This is the Mercedes-Benz 300SLR in which Moss, with ace co-driver Denis Jenkinson, won the 1955 Mille Miglia.

But, of course, it was Moss’ great success in Grand Prix and sports car racing for Mercedes-Benz that led to the Pagoda SL road car in question.

Day one

This photo shows Moss collecting his car from the factory, being ‘flagged away’ by Mercedes’ racing team manager Alfred Neubauer, with his second wife, Elaine, in the passenger seat.

Both the period caption and the Silverstone Auctions listing describe this Pagoda as a 230SL, but the car wears a ‘250SL’ badge on its rear. What’s more, it is now a different colour from the day Moss collected it.

We’ll explain both these points in due course.

A numbers game

From this rear-view photo, you can see it clearly says ‘250SL’ on the back of the car. 

However, this is a 1966 car and the 250SL, the second model in the 113-series SL line-up, wasn’t on stream until December of that year, so is this just a very, very early example? The answer is both yes and no.

Changing of the guard

Moss was keen to get a Pagoda SL as a road car. The model was launched as the 230SL in 1963, with a 148bhp 2.3-litre straight-six engine.

Its successor, the 250SL, came as the curtain was falling on 1966, but Moss wanted one before that.

Pecking order

Earlier in ’66, Mercedes-Benz was building 250SLs, but these were only American-market 250SLs.

But then, having won Grands Prix and the Mille Miglia for the factory, Stirling Moss was no ordinary customer and by special order was able to get his hands on a model not yet in production.

Show star

The car Moss got was the UK-spec model that had been exhibited on the marque’s 1966 Earls Court Motor Show stand.

In this case, under the bonnet was a specially fitted M129 engine from a 250SE, because the right-hand-drive 250SL didn’t arrive until 1967.

What’s more the Mercedes’ data card states: ‘engine must be specially selected on the Dynotech for best maximum performance’.

The only one

There is something else about this SL that makes it stand out, too.

It is thought that Moss insisted on his car being fitted with an opening roof vent in its removable hardtop.

The entire mechanism was a bespoke design for this car and is apparently not seen on any other Pagoda, making this car unique.

Famous faces

Roof on or off, it seems Moss enjoyed this Mercedes, which during his custodianship wore his ‘M7’ numberplate – this image shows him in it at Silverstone, with friend and privateer race-team owner Rob Walker.

And although Moss didn’t own the car that long, he did put a fair few miles under its colour-coded wheels.

Colour chart

Moss owned this Mercedes until 1968, when it was sold to a gentleman called Mr Mitchell – that year it was serviced with 14,336 miles on the clock.

Also in the paperwork that accompanies this classic is an invoice detailing its change of colour – it was repainted in November 1970 in Jaguar Pearl Grey and, 52 years later, it is still that hue.

Moving on

Mr McBride was the Pagoda’s next keeper, who bought it via Surrey’s Hurst Park Automobiles in October 1974 – he part-exchanged his Ford Granada Estate in the deal, so this was quite the upgrade.

In his tenure, the Mercedes spent a lot of time in Northern Ireland and was serviced in Belfast.

Personal plate

The sales director at the dealership it was serviced at was Jack McAleer, a well-respected member of the Northern Irish Mercedes-Benz community.

McAleer bought this Pagoda from Mitchell and when he registered it in September 1977, he assigned his own registration plate to it – and ‘BO13’ is still with the car today.

On show

For the second time in this car’s life, following its Earls Court debut, this Mercedes then went on show, forming part of McAleer’s collection of special three-pointed stars.

Indeed, as the ‘Moss Pagoda’, it was at the heart of this showcase.

Signing session

During this time, Moss was reunited with the car. In February 1981, Moss paid a visit and signed his former car’s service book.

What he thought of the colour change is not recorded.

Star appeal

Later in the ’80s, the Pagoda moved from the limelight to McAleer’s home. Apparently, some of his Mercedes were sold to fund the conversion of his garage into a snooker room.

Indeed, it is said that snooker players Ray Reardon and Alex Higgins, as well as boxer Barry McGuigan, admired the former Moss SL when they visited McAleer, the car kept in his snooker room.

Line of succession

The Mercedes was a member of the family and was used to attend classic car events.

Then, for the third time in its life, it went on display. This time, the 250SL formed part of a five-car showcase back at the dealership to mark the R230 SL’s launch, in 2002.

Slipping into slumber

McAleer hung onto this classic SL until he passed away in June 2012, having been its proud owner for almost 35 years.

At this point, it was gifted to his daughter and moved into storage with a marque specialist.

As it was

Other than its colour change, 52 years ago, Silverstone Auctions, who is selling this car, understands that it is completely original and in unrestored condition.

That unique hardtop, requested by Moss, is still present and correct – and fully functional.

As requested

The factory-fitted Blaupunkt radio you can see here is still present, too.

As is the engine requested by the motor-racing legend, which is said to start and run well.

TLC needed

Any prospective bidder must bear in mind that McAleer died a decade ago and this Mercedes has been sitting unused for a while, so it will require some recommissioning work.

That said, it has been stored properly and run regularly, so it hasn’t been uncared for, just unused.

Charged up

While the auction house notes that work is definitely needed to the brakes, this SL has had a new battery fitted recently.

Still, its next owner should go in with his or her eyes open.

It all adds up

Today the odometer reads 79,485 miles, which is correct and fully verifiable, thanks to the wealth of supporting paperwork accompanying this car.

And as it heads to auction, being sold for the first time in 45 years, where better to do so than at Silverstone, the home of British motorsport.

Hammer time

Stirling Moss’ Mercedes-Benz W113 SL Pagoda will cross the block with Silverstone Auctions on 27 August 2022, where it has a pre-sale estimate of £100-120,000.

To find out more about this and the other cars in The Classic Sale, please click here.