The Car that Almost Wasn't

60 Years of the Pagoda: Part 1

It has been 60 years since the iconic W113 'Pagoda' was launched at the Geneva Motor Show in 1963. Yet this car may not have been born if not for some savvy business decisions and clever R&D practices.

Let’s go back in time to the Mercedes-Benz factory in Stuttgart, where fate - and production challenges - led to a watershed moment..

In the late 1950's the impact of the 300SL forever established the Mercedes-Benz marque in the coveted American and European markets. Limited in production numbers and with a price that only the most affluent could afford, the exclusivity of the 300SL only enhanced its desirability.

Inspired by the 300SL, the 190SL became the company's mass production mode, and profits soared. Now with a reputation for excellence and solid sales, Mercedes-Benz had its eyes firmly on the future, aiming to repeat the successful recipe of creating cars with both superb engineering and elegant styling.

Mercedes-Benz made the decision to cease production on the loss-making 300SL and develop a range of cars that could be readily manufactured - and keep the company in the black. The R&D focus turned to further development of the 190SL which was built on the unibody platform shared with the Ponton.

The drawing board enhancements for the 190SL - bigger engine, automatic box, superior suspension - were given the green light by the Mercedes board. Critically, the enhancements called for a change of chassis platform - a considerable technical undertaking that would also demand a high budget to re-tool the factory.

Great R&D companies run separate design teams which inject healthy competition and urgency into progress. While the 190SL team struggled to justify moving forward with their plans, another team had designed a two-seater sports car based on the emerging W112 chassis.

With the strategic goal being to build all models on a common chassis, the W113 230SL design was given board approval, and the decision to go forward with the 190SL was reversed. Instead, both the 300SL and 190SL ceased production in 1963, having made a tremendous impact in automotive history, and allowing a new chapter to begin.

The Pagoda may never have been built if not for the modus operandi of Mercedes-Benz. The company's competing R&D teams delivered legendary classics on multiple chassis platforms, and over 60 years later we are blessed with the 190SL, 300SL and the Pagoda.

Yet the arrival 230SL, with its departure from the curvaceous styling of its SL predecessors, had to fight gain respect, as we will see in our next article.