1970 Mercedes 280SE 3.5 Coupe

This rust free car runs and drives excellent and is in great condition. One of the last hand-built production automobiles to come from Mercedes-Benz this elegant 1970 280SE 3.5 coupe is a nice example and many astute collectors feel that 280SE 3.5 coupes are among the most collectible cars of the era.

Miles: 55,876

VIN: 11102612001226

History:

Built for a period of less than two years (August 1969 to July 1971) fewer than 500 low grille V8 coupes were sold in the US. One of Mercedes Benz's most elegant cars designed by Paul Bracq and has stood the test of time with its understatedly elegant rear fins and distinct roofline. The epitome of class and performance using unibody construction and maintaining Mercedes’ famous quality and bank-vault feel on the road. This car was built in April 1970.

Engine & Transmission: The mechanics on this car are very well sorted. The automatic floor shift transmission shifts smoothly and the alloy M116 V-8 engine starts immediately and runs strong (see video). The car was completely gone through by Burback Motors in Portland Oregon (503) 236-1737. All gauges work, turn signals, fog lamps, and lights work as they should. The car is responsive and nimble and enjoys long-distance cruising. The Bosch electronic fuel injection works excellent. With 200 horsepower the smooth and powerful 280SE 3.5 can get up to 60 mph in less than 10 seconds. This is a great example that is ready to drive and enjoy.

Body: This rust free car is extremely solid. The body is in a very good condition and all panels are straight with excellent gaps. All glass is in great shape no chips or cracks. The rear driver side rear window has a scratch in it that must be from the power window mechanism as I have seen the exact same thing on several coupes in exactly the same place. The (571 Brilliant Red) paint is nice and presents well and shows the great lines of the car. It has had a respray that was done correctly in the original color but does have a few areas that are not perfect. (I have a high standard for paint and am use to looking at Pebble Beach quality cars). The front of the car has some small rock chips and the clear coat on close inspection has some scratches in it. There is a foggy area on the roof and passenger lower front fender where the clear coat has become thin and there is one blemish on the back of the top where something dripped on the car (see detailed photos). I would grade the paint a 7 on a scale from 1-10. All the chrome is very nice with exception of some small pitting on the lower rear window trim and two dings in the rear bumper over the exhaust (see photos), but all other chrome is exceptional nice. The rubber is good and all plastic lenses are great. The trunk area is very nice and solid as well as the spare tire compartment. The trunk mat is original and hard from age. Most of the time the trunk is messy or rusted as this was a weak point for moister to get in, this car is solid. It comes with the original 280SE-specific jack, tools, and correct vented steel rim spare tire. The underside is solid and un-tampered (see photos). I looked closely at the car and took detailed photos to show the great solid condition of this car.

Interior: The beautiful leather interior is in very nice condition presenting well with no rips tears. These were largely hand-assembled automobiles, and that original level of quality is still very apparent on this example. The wood is in good condition with the speaker grill and windshield surround being recently restored to show quality standards. The door skins are very nice as well as the armrests. The chrome bits in the interior are great. I found three imperfections in the entire interior (dash leather bezel surround has one crack in it, the steering wheel has two cracks in it and the bottom of the A/C console has one blemish in the carpet, see photos). All the gauges work as they should. The radio is the correct original small chassis Becker that was fitted specifically for these cars with stereo speakers in the back. You often see an aftermarket stereo or incorrect Becker wedged into the dash of these cars. It is refreshing to see and original that has not been touched. The lovely white steering wheel center is nice and turn signals work as they should. The original carpet is great and the seats show no signs of excessive wear. This is a desirable floor shift model and is also equipped with Behr air conditioning (standard on 280SE 3.5 coupes) power steering, power brakes, and electric windows all work as they should. The headliner on this car is amazing as most of the Mercedes-Benz cars from this era have discoloring around the front are rear map and reading lights due to glue that was used back in the day, but this car has the cleanest original headliner I have ever seen with no discoloring anywhere. While the styling remains a design benchmark the coupe was engineered with safety and visibility in mind so when you are driving this car there are no blind spots which adds to the enjoyment of owning this car, I have found if you have a car that is hard to drive, it is not as much fun and the car usually sits. This car is easy to use in modern traffic and I never get tired of looking at the dash, it is a treat every time. Apart from the Mercedes top-of-the-line 600 series, this car was the flagship model in the line-up.

Summary:

This is asolid example of a classic Iconic Mercedes-Benz. These extremely comfortable tourers are considered highly usable classics continuing a tradition of handcrafted quality and superior engineering, Even cars twenty years newer will be hard-pressed to match the 280SE 3.5 for its quality, performance and unrivaled style. This example is perfect for cruising during the week and taking to car shows on the weekend

The link here (below) will take you to additional photos to seethe car in greater detail.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/20823381@N08/albums/72157673456171310

This link will take you to a video tour of the car.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkfon_T6vBw

Feel free to contact me for additional information.

I take great pride in my eBay rating and accurate description of this car. I reserve the right to end the auction early. Car is located in Salem Oregon and I invite all inspections prior to bidding.

I will contact the winning bidder via email after the auction ends. Car is sold as-is with no warranties express or implied.

I require an $1850 deposit (paypal or bank wire transfer) within 2 days. Balance is due (bank check or bank wire transfer only) within 7 days of auction end. Delivery upon funds clearing the bank.

The transport cost is the responsibility of the winning bidder, I will help with logistics.

US car shippers that you may contact for a quote:

www.larrysautotransport.com

International car shippers that you may contact for a quote:

http://www.schumachercargo.com/

Thank you for viewing my auction listing.