1969 Mercedes-Benz 280 SL
Posted September 27, 2026
1969 Mercedes-Benz 280 SL
One of the more elegant European cars to join the early Hot Wheels lineup, the Mercedes-Benz 280 SL brought a little luxury to the Redline era.
The real 280 SL was part of Mercedes-Benz’s legendary W113 “Pagoda” series. The name came from its distinctive slightly concave hardtop, which resembles the roof of a pagoda. The 280 SL debuted in 1968 with a 2.8-liter inline-six producing 170 horsepower, and nearly 24,000 were built before production ended in 1971.
Mattel introduced its 280 SL in the 1969 Hot Wheels lineup. Designed by Ira Gilford, the 67mm casting features an opening hood with a detailed six-cylinder engine underneath and was produced exclusively in Hong Kong. It came in classic Spectraflame colors including red, green, blue, aqua, orange and purple.
A particularly interesting variation is the black-roof version, which is harder to find than the standard unpainted-roof version.
A beautiful combination of Mercedes-Benz style and early Redline Hot Wheels design.
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