Vehicle Description
Mercedes-Benz's fabulous W111 coupe and cabriolet are considered by
many enthusiasts to be the finest built and best performing luxury
GT cars of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Handsome and luxurious,
the glamorous cabriolet and its elegant coupe sibling offered
impeccable style and luxury paired with previously unheard-of
levels of build quality. These two-door variants shared a basic
platform and drivetrain with the four-door "Heckflosse" (fin tail)
sedans, but offered with a very different styling treatment that
traded fins for more rounded and better resolved detailing at the
rear. While the sedans had upright styling along with somewhat
awkward tail fins that were clearly pandering to the American
market, the coupe and cabrio were more modern, more subdued and
much more timeless in appearance.� The styling of the 280SE 2-door
inspired that of the Heckflosse's replacement, the W108, and the
two-door W111 outlasted its befinned four-door counterpart by
several years. Mechanically, a wide variety of gasoline and diesel
engines were offered. However, since the coupe and cabrio were
reserved for the higher classes, choices were limited mainly to six
cylinder carbureted and fuel injected petrol engines. Late in
production, Mercedes shoehorned their all-aluminum 3.5 liter V8
into the W111 chassis, which transformed the car from an elegant
cruiser into one of the most capable and advanced GT cars of the
era. The 280SE, particularly in cabriolet form, has become one of
the most desirable of all post-war Mercedes this side of the 300SL.
They represent the end of the hand-built era and are exceptionally
fine cars to drive. Collectors have taken notice and values have
risen accordingly in the past several years. This 1969 280SE
Cabriolet is a very attractive and well-sorted example that is
ideally suited for regular enjoyment or casual show. It is finished
in its original and very attractive color combination of DB 903
Blue with a dark blue (744) top and dark blue (245) leather trim.
The body is very straight with excellent factory-quality panel fit
and lovely glossy paintwork. These cars were exceptionally well
engineered and constructed, with Mercedes going so far as to make
much of the bright trim in chrome-on-brass. Our car has high
quality plating on the grille, window trims, sills and very nice,
straight bumpers. The front end features original US-spec headlamps
and a pair of factory fog lamps with amber lenses. It rides on
correct steel wheels with full, color-keyed wheel covers and
correct narrow whitewall tires. Overall it is an absolutely
gorgeous yet totally drivable car that has benefitted from plenty
of care. The luxurious cabin is certainly one of the highlights of
this 280SE cabriolet. Big, comfortable chairs up front offer
exceptional comfort, while a rear bench offers plenty of room for
at least two additional adults. The dark blue leather upholstery is
in good condition, trimmed using correct grain hides and perforated
inserts. Front and rear seats, as well as blue carpets present in
excellent order and the door panels appear to be very well
preserved originals. Beautiful wood trim graces the fascia, upper
dash, and A-pillars, all of which have been fully restored to a
very high standard. The blue German canvas convertible top is in
overall excellent condition, and features a matching blue canvas
boot. This car is well equipped with desirable options including
air conditioning, power windows, floor shift automatic
transmission, and a Becker Mexico AM/FM stereo. The trunk is fitted
with the correct rubber floor mat, while the spare wheel, jack and
handle are in correct factory locations. There is even a very rare
and very cool period Mercedes-Benz accessory cleaning kit found in
the trunk. Mercedes-Benz's legendary 2.8 liter fuel-injected inline
six presents in clean, tidy condition in the engine bay. It is the
original matching number engine and is well detailed, and while not
to concours standards, remains extremely well presented.
Importantly, this example is an excellent performer, with the Bosch
mechanical fuel injection allowing for easy starts, and flexible
performance through the rev range. The engine is smooth, quiet and
runs strong with excellent shifts from the automatic transmission.
Road manners are outstanding, as one should expect from these
beautifully over-engineered cars. These are exceptionally good cars
that perform in a way that makes them seem much younger than they
are. Strong brakes, excellent steering and a crisp automatic
transmission all combine to make the 280SE a surprisingly good
all-round touring car that is equally at home tootling around town,
top-down cruising on a coastal road, or up on the motorway for a
long-distance run. Having the added bonus of a top that goes down,
as well as strong collectability in today's market, this
high-quality, matching number 280SE is sure to please its next
keeper.
