The 1960s were the heyday of special bodied cars based on mass production models. There were a number of coachbuilders around in Europe who made a living of selling often hand crafted body styles fitted on chassis of popular or premium cars. Sometimes these were show cars intended to attract attention at important car shows and sold afterwards to the highest bidder, more often these cars were build to order for rich customers and very rarely these specials turned out so good that they were taken into (limited) production.
Coachbuilder Pininfarina had the habit of introducing a number of special bodied cars each year at car shows as a styling exercise, a company showcase and of course to attract orders from the industry or individual customers. In that respect the 230 SL Pininfarina coupe was shown at the 1964 Paris Motor Show.

This coupe was designed by Tom Tjaarda, a young American designer and son of John Tjaarda, a Dutch immigrant best known for his aerodynamic Lincoln Zephyr of the 1930s. Tom had started at the Ghia studio in Italy in 1959, moved to Pininfarina in 1961 and was only 28 when he designed the 230 SL Pininfarina coupe. Later he established his name as a designer with the DeTomaso Pantera and Deauville, again for Carrozzeria Ghia.
Pininfarina management had ordered a number of their designers to make a proposal for the 230 SL coupe and that of Tjaarda was selected even before a model was made. The assignment was to design a coupe based on the standard platform of the 230 SL, using the original interior, much of the original glass and the original headlights and grille. In Tjaarda's vision this design should have had a potential for production, maybe even replacing the original Pagoda SL design.

Pininfarina however saw this car as a build to order special for a German businessman named Springer (that's why this car is sometimes referred to as the "Springer Pagoda") and denied rumours which suggested that Mercedes was contemplating production of this version. At the show the car was displayed in a silver paint job, reminiscent of the Mercedes "Silberpfeile" race cars. Later owners have repainted the car in black and red, like you see on these pictures, though currently the car is in its original silver livery again, complete with the steel wheels with hubcaps the way it was originally shown and replacing the later added alloy ones you see above.
On these pictures you see the standard interior and grille. The only addition which was made to the interior was a chrome trimming running along the back edges and tops of the seats. As a result of the new thin pillars and roofline, and the special side glass and rear screen, the interior is light and airy. From the outside the redesigned roofline looks more elegant and sporty than the standard hardtop of the SL, which is rather upright.

The angle shown here shows the differences from the regular Pagoda SL best. At the sides there is a distinctive crease running from the headlights to the new rear lights, in a arc with the highest point in the centre of the car's profile. The rear is completely redesigned with the now very angled rear pillars complemented by the slanting rear end of the car.
The car's looks are boosted by its dynamic qualities: the body matches well with the chassis, is solid and doesn't shake or vibrate over any road surface. The ride is pleasant with little body roll and a very direct steering.
After the Paris Motor Show, where it met with a very favorable reception, the car didn't appear again and so became something of an enigma. Tom Tjaarda had a meeting with Paul Bracq and a Mercedes executive some months later about his design and got the impression the Mercedes executive wasn't very happy with it for some reason. Then the idea of production just faded away...

Is that a pity? I don't know; the regular Pagoda SL is a good design in its own right and in my opinion somewhat more striking and modern. Nevertheless this is a beautiful car and the mystery in which it is shrouded and its uniqueness adds to the myth of the Pagoda SL.
Currently the car resides in California, USA and appears on classic car shows in that area now and then.

Thanks to Mr. Naj Jesani for submitting information and pictures. Displayed pictures are scans from the book "Essential Mercedes-Benz SL: 190SL & Pagoda Models" by Laurence Meredith, published by Motorbooks International (1997) and from the article "Lost Horizon" by Winston Goodfellow for Classic & Sports Car magazine (2001).

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