Known to her friends as Benzie, this 1966 Mercedes-Benz 230 SL is a well loved old car with a dedicated owner. The pair spent their early years together on the West Coast and later moved to Michigan. In 2017 the time had come to address the aging mechanical systems and halt the progressive corrosion that was damaging the metal panels and structure. It was time to give Benzie a thorough going over.

Over the next five years Benzie was completely and lovingly restored here at European Auto Restoration. The old paint was stripped off, taking the chassis and panels down to bare metal. All of the rust damaged metal was either replaced with new, factory original panels or custom fabricated metal patches. All of the newly repaired or replaced metal was primed and sealed to prevent any future corrosion. The chassis was then refinished and painted Arabian Grey, a Mercedes-Benz period correct color. The interior was completely reupholstered in Cognac MB-Tex. All of the trim was saved and polished, the interior woodwork refinished, and the convertible top was completely restored. The leaking engine and transmission were completely rebuilt and reassembled with their original re-plated hardware. Every system under the hood and behind the dash was rebuilt and repaired. It was an extensive process but happily Benzie was reunited with her owner in July 2022.