Vehicle Description
To be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sotheby's Santa Monica event, June
24, 2017.
Estimate:
$240,000 - $280,000 US
Floor-shift automatic transmission
Three-owner car; single ownership from 1971-2004
Comprehensive invoices going back to 2005
Tool roll and original owner's manual
Factory air conditioning
In the early 1970s, Mercedes-Benz built what many people believe
was the finest automobile in the world. For the buyers who wanted
wind in their hair, there was no finer choice than the 280 SE 3.5
Cabriolet, which, combined with the powerful 3.5-liter V-8, was the
fastest, most lavish, and most expensive convertible that money
could buy at a Mercedes-Benz dealership.
It was a car that appeals, then and now, to great enthusiasts and
admirers of the automotive form. Passengers are treated to the
level of understated elegance that one would expect in a car of
this caliber and financial investment. Nineteen seventy-one was the
only year that this model was imported into the United States; 802
are reported entering the U.S. in 1971.
Mercedes-Benz's second V-8 was quite stout and just as with a
small-block American V-8, the compact, fuel-injected, 3.5-litre
powerplant would fit under the hood, where a straight six would
have previously been the top offering. The new 280 SE Cabriolet
looked like the six-cylinder 280, but it had big, reliable power
propelling it into the 1970s and to 60 miles per hour in under 10
seconds, with 130 miles per hour top speed behind its 230
horsepower. This wasn't muscle car territory, but it was highly
respectable for a full-on luxury cabriolet weighing over 3,600
pounds.
It was challenging to match the new Mercedes-Benz mix of technology
and quality. Fully-independent coil-spring suspension and
four-wheel disc brakes meant that ride and handling with the
long-wheelbase chassis were thoroughly modern; but unlike a car of
the 21st century, the look was completely distinctive and
completely Mercedes-Benz, or "fabulously handsome," as Road & Track
called it.
This 280 SE 3.5 is reported as a three-owner car with single
ownership from 1971 to 2004 that has been restored in its original
color of Papyrus White over black leather with a black soft-top.
The accompanying data card shows the car to have been fitted with
optional Behr air conditioning and a floor-shift automatic
transmission from new. The luxurious interior displays wood trim
elements, a Becker Europa stereo radio and the large seating
accommodations are welcome, no matter the length of the drive.
Tastefully sized whitewall Dunlop SE tires provide a perfect accent
to this handsome presentation.
Comprehensive service invoices go back to 2005 and there is also a
service book included. Tools are also included and further
documentation consists of the original owner's manual and various
books.
This Mercedes-Benz model was at home at the most-highly respected
addresses when new and is embraced in similar locales to this
day.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction,
please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/.
