For Sale at Auction: 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280 in Newport, Rhode Island

Chassis No. 111.025.12.003222
Engine No. 130.980.12.023766

The legendary "W111" series of Mercedes-Benz Cabriolets was launched at the 1961 Frankfurt Auto Show, offered first with a 2.2-liter inline-six. That engine evolved into a 2.5 before its final evolution, the 2.8-liter unit fitted to the 280 SE, the largest six-cylinder engine offered in a W111. This added displacement brought more than sufficient power for the model's ever-increasing amenities, from power steering to air conditioning, with the 280 SE Cabriolet standing as the pinnacle of Mercedes-Benz's, and Germany's, personal luxury cars.

Completed 30 June 1969 to North American specification under option 491, this example was ordered with power windows and a limited-slip differential. Michael Ryan of Vancouver, British Columbia, was its first owner, keeping the car until April 1998, when it passed to fellow British Columbian Donald Padget with roughly 53,000 miles showing. In November 2021, the car was acquired by what is believed to be just its fourth owner, at approximately 102,000 miles, who commissioned a documented recommissioning that included wood trim refinished by Madera Concepts, engine bay hardware vapor-blasted and replated by Dog House Restoration, the original radiator restored, a remanufactured driveshaft, and a new soft top and boot cover. These efforts were rewarded on the show field, earning Best Mercedes at the Pacific Grove Concours, first in class at the Chico Concours, and second in class at Legends of the Autobahn. The car was then acquired by its current, fifth owner in August 2022, who has preserved it in the same exceptional award-winning condition.

Wearing a striking color combination that's further accentuated with the top down and accompanied by a set of tan luggage, this 280 SE Cabriolet remains as elegant at rest as it is in motion, a lightly used example of the model in its most elegant form. The 280 SE Cabriolet remains one of the most coveted open four-seaters Mercedes-Benz built in the 1960s, admired as much for its refined grace as for its comfort that continues to appeal undiminished decades later. This example is further equipped for grand touring, with air conditioning upgraded for more pleasant long-distance use. Top up or down, it offers the kind of unhurried, sophisticated motoring the model was designed to deliver.