Walt Disney was a mogul in every sense of the word. By 1964 the company he founded included the Disneyland theme park, the production of animated and live-action movies, and was planning a larger resort in Florida which would later become Disney World. Yet, in his private life, he was frugal, living like a man of modest means. The idea of splurging on a big ticket item made him uncomfortable, especially something like a car.
However, it wasn't just any car that caught Disney's eye. It was a 1964 Mercedes-Benz 230SL. Known as the Pagoda because of its removable hardtop, it originally cost $8,500 or the equivalent of $85,000 today. At the time, Disney could have bought any car he wanted. But the price tag of the Mercedes-Benz was too rich for him.
