Two weeks ago I took a look the W114/115 coupe and explained that while not the pinnacle of Mercedes-Benz at the time, they still had their place at the time as being a fashionable vehicle with above average quality. The same can be said about the sedan compared to the W108/109, but it seems these even take a further back seat given the next generation that went on to become on of the greatest cars of all time, the W123. Still, these little sedans have their place and can be had for not much money at all, just like today’s example, a 1972 220 up for sale in New York. It isn’t a prime example by any means, but still has a good look on a very tight budget.
Tag: 1973
I love a good ownership story as much as the next person. The majority of the time, they have some kind of celebrity tie simply because the nature of the cars we deal with. We’ve done Lennon, Elvis (twice), actual kings, the Great One, Sweetness, Air Jordan, and both Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. For every giant name, there are not so giant names that still have a great story behind them. Today’s car, a 1973 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 4.5 up for sale in Colorado, is one of those stories.
This W108 was purchased new by the seller’s mother in July 1973 to park beside her 450SL where she proudly posed for photos looking very stylish in proper 1970s clothing. It has remained with her ever since and she still takes occasional rides in it at the ripe old age of 102. It isn’t a pristine example or even a very nice one, but I really don’t have much of a problem with that. To keep a car over 45 years and continue driving it over that time is no easy feat, even for something as solid as a W108. Sadly, the time has come for this car to find a new loving home for the next 45 years. I just wish I was closer.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1973 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 4.5 on Hemmings
6 CommentsSlate Grey, the preferred color of the famous Steve McQueen. This isn’t one of McQueen’s cars, but those who restored it seem to have had McQueen in mind when choosing how to proceed with their work. This is a 1973 Porsche 911E Targa painted in that wonderful Slate Grey, located in New York, with Tan interior showing a nice set of sport seats and a reported 54,100 miles on it. It has been fully restored and as it sits now looks quite good!
As the seller has noted, the 911E was positioned in between the entry-level 911T and the sportier 911S. It utilized a similar mechanically fuel-injected engine as the 911S, though with fewer horses (160 hp). Hydro-pneumatic struts replaced the torsion bars up front providing a smoother ride than the standard suspension available on the T. The E thus served as the luxury version relative to the more sporty 911S. Values, of course, tend to follow suit with the E slotting in between the other two models. However, the gap from the E to the S is far more significant than between the T and E.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1973 Porsche 911E Targa on eBay
3 CommentsThis is no backdated 3.2 Carrera. It’s not an RS tribute or any other of the many modified 911s we see that attempt to replicate this car. It isn’t even an RS Touring. This is the real deal. The Holy Grail for many Porsche enthusiasts: a 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS Lightweight.
We aren’t told much about it and a few of the interior pieces are not original, but it is otherwise a very nice example in the color combination of Tangerine over Black. The mileage too appears to be very low showing only 18,158 kilometers. Anyone interested will need to do a lot of homework to fill in all of the details, but what a car these are.