Nikki Dino - 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SL Rally Special

Nikki has owned her Pagoda for 24 years and it’s become one of the family.

“The car has always been there for major events in the family and to nieces and nephews, the two are inseparable.”

A lot of restoration has taken place, and Nikki has done a lot of the work herself. She has loved and prepared the car so well that in 2023, it won the Best Pagoda in Show at the Mercedes Benz Club UK’s Annual Concours.

Last year marked three significant anniversaries. The first was 60 years since the introduction of the ‘W113 Chassis’ Pagoda; The second was 60 years since the only rally win ever achieved by a Pagoda, coming first out of 129 cars in the Spa-Sofia-Liege Rally.

The third anniversary was Nikki’s 60th birthday which she celebrated by leading out the fourteen other Pagodas onto the Mercedes World Circuit at Brooklands.

The preparation of the car was made to represent the rally car of 1963, but it was numbered 60 for obvious reasons. It wasn’t Nikki’s first time on track as she had also taken the car to Donington Park and Silverstone.

Both the car and Nikki have become widely known in the Mercedes Benz clubs and community.

Nikki said: “I loved my car just the way she was out of the factory in horizon blue and I was reluctant to change her with the rally decals, wheels and spotlights, but I do enjoy the car more and its now recognised far and wide.”