Vehicle Description
To be OFFERED AT AUCTION at Auctions America's Fort Lauderdale
event, March 31-2, 2017.
Chassis No.
11102712003179
Estimate:
$400,000 - $450,000 US
Eager to show off his design expertise, Frenchman Paul Bracq took
advantage of a mandatory military posting to then-occupied West
Germany in the late 1950s by visiting Daimler-Benz. Bracq, armed
with some of his drawings and sketches, managed to secure an
interview with the automaker's design department. Impressed, they
offered him a position when his military service ended in 1957.
Little did they know that Bracq would take Mercedes-Benz into the
modern era by reinventing the brand's flagship, the W108.
Refining Friedrich Geiger's iconic "fintail" models, Bracq penned
clean, elegant lines that hid a powertrain that was both robust and
eminently reliable. Together, the cars' styling and engineering set
the course for decades to come. Fuel injected V-8 power arrived in
1970 mated to a massively advanced 4-speed automatic gearbox. This
was an engine and a transmission combination designed for the ages,
with the combination lasting 20 years as an offering in Mercedes'
flagship lineup with only incremental updates. Not only did the V-8
become a staple of the German automaker's underhood offerings, it
has proven to be an especially durable highlight in a lineup noted
for its longevity.
While the sedans were stoic, the Cabriolet was the attention-getter
with its evocative chrome and folding roof covered by a contrasting
boot. Bracq's evolution of Mercedes' distinctive postwar design
language lent itself especially well to a four-place convertible.
The 280 SE 3.5 became the first to be fitted with the company's V-8
that was unveiled at 1969's Frankfurt motor show, but it was only
briefly offered. In addition to the V-8, the 280 SE 3.5 featured a
wider grille, revised tail lamps, and rubber strips on its chrome
bumpers.
Finished in black over cognac, this 280 SE 3.5 was recently treated
to a cosmetic restoration to a high standard. As such, it presents
as almost new with limited signs of wear, showing decades of care
by its previous owners.
It features a floor-shifted automatic gearbox rather than the
column lever that was more common on the sedans. Period upgrades
include a Becker Europa AM/FM radio, a Behr air conditioning system
correctly fitted below its leather-wrapped dashboard, and tasteful
chrome wheel well trim. A matching cognac boot hides its folding
black German canvas soft-top. It shows just 60,000 miles on the
odometer.
As one of the mere handful of 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolets built, this
example represents the pinnacle of its breed. With its V-8 engine,
it remains eminently drivable and remarkably modern�not to mention
characteristically eye-catching.
