Ask anyone what their favorite classic Mercedes-Benz may be and no doubt many will point to the 300SL Gullwing. This limited production sports car put Mercedes-Benz on the map in the United States shortly after the end of World War II and established its reputation as an innovator in automotive engineering. One of my favorites from years gone by in the Mercedes-Benz portfolio is a dark horse to many. Sure, even the uninitiated may instantly recognize the W111 Coupe as a Mercedes-Benz. Few, however, know of a powertrain combination that was available late in the production run that would make this classic an ultimate sleeper. This would be the 280SE 3.5 Coupe with the rare 4-speed manual option. A mere handful made it to the US and production figures are said to barely break into the three figures. This 3.5 Coupe for sale in Texas was sourced from California, having been stored for a number of years. It’s not in pristine condition, but is far from a basket case.
Click for more details: 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Coupe on eBay
Year: 1971
Model: 280SE
Engine: 3.5 liter V8
Transmission: 4-speed manual
Mileage: 108,641 (?) mi
Price: $67,500 Buy It Now
1971 Mercedes-Benz 280 SE 3.5 Liter Sunroof Coupe
Chassis No. 111 026 10 002018
Engine No. 116 980 10 000340
Transmission No. 000962Factory Build Date: July 27, 1970
An Incredible “Garage Find” 3.5 Liter Coupe
Complete Matching Numbers Example
Extremely Rare Factory Optioned with Sunroof and Manual Transmission
Long Term Single Ownership California owner from 1989-2013The 3.5 Liter Coupes and Cabriolets are among the most collectible Mercedes-Benz ever built. Offered here is an exciting “garage find” 280SE 3.5 liter coupe. It was owned by the same Palo Alto, CA owner for nearly 25 years (We have a copy of the California Pink Slip on file). It is believed to have been in static storage in a garage for the last 14 years before we discovered the car in November of 2013. It is important to note that we have started the car but additional servicing needs to be done to make it road worthy, particularly the injectors should be cleaned and the fuel tank checked and cleaned. There is also corrosion repair on the side rail and another problem area below the rocker panel (pictured). Incredibly the interior is completely original still retaining the original special ordered cognac leather, its VDO Kienzle clock, and the original becker Grand Prix radio. The ivory steering wheel was replaced years ago. Attesting to its originality and authenticity the original Beige paint is still present in the jambs and all four wheels are date coded.
We have acquired the factory DataCard and can verify that this is a significantly rare manual transmission matching numbers example and optioned with a sliding sunroof, halogen lamps, headrests, electric windows, heat insulated glass, front and rear door courtesy lamps, first-aid kit, heated rear pane, and limited-slip rear axle. With minor servicing, and cosmetic repairs this 3.5 Liter pilarless coupe will surely offer the next owner an exclusive entry into the “low grille” Mercedes 280-Series ownership club. The car is offered with a copy of the Factory Datacard and a copy of the California pink slip.
“engineered like no other car in the world,” – Mercedes-Benz
View higher resolution photos of the car at: 1971 Mercedes Benz 280SE
$67,500.00
Offers WelcomedFor more information, please contact: sales@driversorce.com
As rare as these 4-speed 3.5 Coupes are, we featured one earlier this year that was imported from Italy. It garnered its fair share of attention on our site and had a good amount of bidding activity throughout the duration of the auction. Back in 2013, we featured a white 1971 280SE 3.5 4-speed that was up for sale at $65,000. Values have probably crept up a little bit in a year, but that car we featured last year was in much better shape. The price may be reaching just a little bit with this car, given the attention it needs, but I’d wager to say a car like this with it’s rare engine/gearbox combination is probably not going to decrease in value anytime soon. I am not one to look at cars like investments, but of all the vehicles we’ve featured over the last couple months, this one is about as good of a place to park your money as they come.
-Paul
