The Mercedes-Benz 280 SL is widely regarded as one of the most elegant sports cars of its era, but among Pagoda enthusiasts there is one specification that stands above all others: the factory ZF 5-speed manual.

This 1968 Mercedes-Benz 280 SL was delivered new to Paris, France, finished in its original color combination of Red Metallic (Option Code 571) over Black MB-Tex upholstery. Most importantly, it was ordered from new with Option Code 429, the highly desirable ZF 5-speed manual transmission.

Of the nearly 24,000 280 SLs produced, only 882 left the factory equipped with the ZF gearbox. Finding a genuine factory ZF car today is increasingly difficult, and they have become some of the most sought-after examples in the Pagoda market. While the rarity certainly adds to their collectability, what truly sets these cars apart is the driving experience.

The additional gear transforms the character of the 280 SL. The ratios are better suited to spirited driving, making the car feel more responsive and allowing the 2.8-liter inline-six to stay comfortably in its power band. On the open road, the fifth gear provides more relaxed cruising and makes the car feel surprisingly modern for a vehicle designed in the 1960s. For many enthusiasts, the ZF 5-speed is the ultimate Pagoda to drive.

This example retains its original, numbers-matching engine, factory ZF transmission, and driveline components. The car also retains its original fender welds and factory notches, details that are highly valued by collectors and speak to the integrity of the body structure. Inside, the original Black MB-Tex interior remains remarkably well preserved and presents with the honest character expected from a carefully maintained and unrestored example.

Accompanying the car is its matching hardtop, completing one of Mercedes-Benz's most iconic designs.

Rarely does a Pagoda combine such a desirable specification with this level of originality. Between its factory ZF 5-speed transmission, matching-numbers drivetrain, original interior, European delivery, and preserved body details, this 280 SL represents an opportunity to acquire one of the most collectible and rewarding W113s available today.

In Derby on 8th May 1933, 186MY was sold to Barker & Co Ltd of 66

South Audley Street, London WI for their customer, Captain John Wanamaker. The chassis

was a short Continental type, one of 281 made, with 'E' rake steering suitable for an owner

driver. The chassis delivered to Barkers on 11th May for fitting a Three Position

Drophead Coup? Body , referred to in Rolls-Royce records as a 'Coupe Cabriolet'. Barkers

made just four examples of this coachwork on a Phantom II Continental. The guarantee was

dated 8th June 1933 and sent to Barkers on 19th July 1933. The car was first registered as

AGN-343 May 1933 by the London County Council.

Captain John Wanamaker Junior (1889-1934) was a film director, the grandson of

John Wanamaker, the Philadelphia department store magnate. Captain Wanamaker served

with the US Army's 78th Division during WWI and headed communications and

transportation when President Woodrow Wilson was in France negotiating the Treaty of

Versailles. On Wanamaker's return to the United States, the sporty new. Rolls-Royce Coupe

was the perfect choice for the captain, who was well-known in society as an avid sportsman and

a successful speedboat racer in the US and in Europe. Regrettably, he didn?t own the car for

long as Wanamaker died unexpectedly on 30th November 1934, aged just 45.

In 1936, 186MY returned to England after being sold to Sir Terence James O?Connor,

KC (1891-1940) of 4 Paper Buildings, Temple, London ESC and of Swerford Park,

Oxfordshire, built for the Duke of Buccleuch as a hunting lodge in 1783 and remodeled in

the early 19th century with a landscaped park. Sir Terence was a barrister, a bencher of the

Inner Temple and a member of British Parliament who was a Conservative politician and

held the office of Solicitor General from 1936 until his death in 1940. In 1938 he acquired a

Derby Bentley and was given 500 in part exchange for l 86MY which was then sold by

Rolls-Royce for 285 to The Brooklands Motor Co of 103 New Bond Street, London WI. At

that stage the car was painted grey. On 7th March 1940, it was purchased by Patrick David de

Laszlo (1909-1980) of 39, Roland Gardens, London SW7. He was an industrialist, who

reportedly hid the car and kept it safe throughout WWII. After the war, the car passed to Mr

A Jones of The Garth, Eaglescliffe, Stockton-on-Tees. On 28th July 1950 186MY was in the

hands of the motor dealers, Frank Dale of 68 Princess Gate Mews, London SW7, who sold it

to Captain Spencer Hart of 600 Park West, Marble Arch, London W2 on 15th December

1950.

186MY returned to the United States when it was acquired on 16th October 1959 by

Herman R Zinn of the Mittermeyer Nursery Corporation, 228 Passaic Street, Rochelle Park,

New Jersey. Herman Zinn and his company had come to the attention of the public in 1955when they were accused of conspiring with others to defraud the City of New Jersey when

supplying nursery plants.

The American owners after this comprised:

1962 to 1965: Gerrard E Schulz of 70, Briarcliffe Road, Buffalo 25, New York

1965 to 1971: Howard W Kizer of Scottsdale, Arizona

1971 to 1974: Thomas W Barrett III of 5601E, Nauni Valley Drive, Scottsdale,

Arizona

1974 to 1986: The Craven Foundation, Canada

1986 to 1991: Richard B Hooper of Seattle, Washington

1991 to 1999: Harold (aka Hal) S Meden (1928-2006) of 1400, 143rd Place NE,

Bellevue, Washington

1999 to 2006: Ronald S Benach of Chicago, Illinois

During this time in the United States, 186MY participated in the following concours

and other events:

Rolls-Royce Owners' Club, 1959 (First in Class, Phantom II, the Annual Meet at

Kent, Ohio)

Western Inter-Regional, Vancouver, Canada, 1986 (Second in Class, Pre-War Class)

The Oregon National Vintage Tour, 1992

Rolls-Royce Owners' Club, 1995 (National Award)

Rolls-Royce Owners' Club, Lake Forest, Illinois, 2006

Rolls-Royce Owners' Club, Lake Forest, Illinois, 2007

In 2006, 186MY crossed the Atlantic again after being acquired by Andrew Pisker, a

collector of classic cars, particularly Ferraris, and a well-known investment banker. He was

Managing Director of Lehman Brothers in the UK at a young age, then Head of the Global

Bond Business at Banque Paribas before becoming Chief Executive of Dresdner Kleinwort

Wasserstein and a member of the Vorstand ofDresdner Bank AG. He is the founder of

Richmond Park Partners LLP, which is a boutique investment bank offering financial and

capital market advisory services.

In 2009, 186MY was sold to Livio Piero Cossutti of Bissone, Switzerland. Cossutti is

an inventor and a former President of Riri, one of the world's largest zip manufacturers.

During his ownership, the car participated in the Concorso d'Eleganza at Villa d'Este in 2011

and in 2015.

In 2020, 186MY was acquired by its present owner

There are cars, and then there are Cobras. And among the numerous copycat attempts at Cobras, few carry the kind of documented pedigree that CSX 2381 brings to the table. This is a genuine, numbers-matching example of the car that redefined what American performance could be and helped put American motorsports on the same playing field as the Europeans.

CSX 2381 rolled off the line and was invoiced on August 18, 1964 to Lynch-Davidson Ford of Jacksonville, Florida, finished in a striking Silver over Red and loaded with Class "A" accessories XWX tires, a luggage rack, antifreeze, five chrome wheels, and a radio with antenna and carryed an original invoice price of $5,195. The car made its way to Florida aboard a Shelby factory transporter and sat in Lynch-Davidson's dealer inventory as late as March 1965, a documented chapter of provenance that serious collectors will immediately appreciate.

In 2013, CSX 2381 was treated to a complete, nut-and-bolt, frame-off restoration at the hands of David Wagner of Classic Motorsports in Northville, Illinois. David is a marque specialist trusted by Cobra owners for his exacting attention to detail. Every nut, bolt, and panel was addressed to bring this car back to its correct, as-delivered glory, and the result is a Cobra that drives and presents as good as it did the day it left the factory. Under the hood sits the car's original 289ci solid lifter V8, mated to its original 4-speed manual gearbox. 

Opportunities to own a documented, matching-numbers Shelby Cobra with this level of provenance and this quality of restoration simply don't come along often. CSX 2381 is ready for its next chapter and its next owner.