A smart Pagoda rarely costs more than 100,000 euros – and yet, at Brabus Classic, there are several examples of the 50-year-old SL for around 235,000 euros. What justifies the steep price? We asked…
From pistons to seats
Brabus press spokesman Sven Gramm knows the business inside-out and was rapidly able to answer our question: “If you buy a Pagoda for 235,000 euros, you can be sure that the car is exactly as it was when it left the factory – from the pistons to the upholstered seats. We put around 1,500 hours of work into a car like this,” explains Gramm, adding, “We restore the car as faithfully as possible, using many original parts. We make an exception, of course, if the customer wants a specific colour, which is a request we are happy to fulfil.”
It’s not possible to grade these immaculately restored specimens as they’re beyond the usual scale of perfection; and the quality is backed up by a two-year Brabus Classic warranty, with no mileage limit.
Long-term investment
“We get customers who want to drive a perfect car, just as they would have done when picking up a new Mercedes from the factory. Perhaps the prevailing market prices are currently at a lower level than ours, but the value of Pagodas is rising steadily. A flawlessly restored example is a long-term investment that will, I’m sure, more than pay for itself in the end.”
Photos: Brabus
Mercedes-Benz Pagodas in the Classic Driver Market.