Summary

1965 Mercedes-Benz 230SL roadster specially ordered in right-hand-drive configuration by John Lennon. Powered by the original 2308cc inline-6 SOHC engine with Bosch mechanical fuel injection and automatic transmission.

Details

Launched at the prestigious March 1963 Geneva Auto Show, the new 230SL roadster succeeded both the 300Sl and the 190SL lines, marking a new single-platform policy for Mercedes-Benz sports cars. Internally codded W113 and of monocoque construction, the SL featured chiseled body lines penned by noted and prolific designer Paul Bracq. The new SL went on to become an unqualified postwar icon and, given the instantly iconic styling, upscale cachet and inherent excellence of the 230SL, it is only natural that it would captivate a fast-rising musician/songwriter from Liverpool, who was finally enjoying the fruits of virtually endless writing, touring and recording. That young man was John Winston Lennon, and this is his 1965 Mercedes-Benz 230SL. A thrilling find for anyone even remotely interested in the British musical invasion of the Swinging '60s and sporting automobiles, this 230SL was the choice of a man who, by the mid-1960s, could choose any automobile. While he grew up in Liverpool, a favorite target of the German Luftwaffe during World War II, and the horrors of wartime still fresh, John Lennon also knew postwar Germany on a personal level, having gained immense experience playing to occupation soldiers and German civilians alike on three tours in Hamburg bars during the early ‘60s. In fact, since Lennon, his bandmates in The Beatles and all their German friends spent their formative years in Hamburg, his choice of an upscale German car made sense. Delivered new to England, of course in right-hand-drive configuration, John Lennon’s 230SL was registered GCP 196C there, and it was later exported to the United States and registered in California. It was also originally equipped with a 2308cc SOHC inline 6-cylinder engine rated at 170hp with Bosch mechanical fuel injection and automatic transmission, making this car one of the earlier vehicles from Mercedes-Benz to be so equipped. Handsome in blue over gray upholstery, this 230SL is now offered from long-term museum ownership and comes with documentation that includes a copy of the original U.K. registration bearing John Lennon’s iconic signature, a photo of the car sitting in front of John Lennon’s Kenwood home in Weybridge, U.K., a photo of Cynthia Lennon with the car, a photo of the car at Abbey Road Studios with Ringo in the foreground, a photo by Pattie Boyd (George Harrison’s wife) of George Harrison on a motorbike with the 230SL in the foreground, and other notable memorabilia. As offered, the car has been expertly reviewed and it is confirmed to retain the engine, chassis plate, transmission and rear differential with numbers matching those of the factory Data Card, and it is confirmed as having been delivered new in its Medium Blue exterior color with gray interior, a gray soft-top and factory hardtop. Copies from the original logbook documents John Winston Lennon, M.B.E., as the vehicle’s owner. The M.B.E. was the Queen’s Honorary Award and it was presented to The Beatles at Buckingham Palace in 1965. The Mercedes is believed to have been sold by Lennon to a private couple in the Newmarket area and then to Mr. Howard Wise. It would then find its way to Peter Jarvis, the noted car dealer in Cocoa Beach, FL, in the mid-1980s. Subsequently, the SL was sold to one Mr. Barnett in California, who sold the car in 1999 to the current Florida museum owner. Carrying wonderful early provenance, remaining faithful to its original specifications, and offered from a well-cared-for museum collection, the John Lennon 1965 Mercedes-Benz 230SL is a thrilling find and a wonderful piece of automotive and cultural history.