Enthusiasts Blogging Our Favorite Classifieds
The 1981 Mercedes-Benz 280CE 4-speed manual we saw last October is back up for auction, not having met its reserve the last time around. If you aren’t particularly a diesel fan yet are intrigued by the durability of the W123, there are few better options than a Euro market CE coupe such as this.
The year was 1976. Cadillac proclaimed it’s Eldorado Convertible would be the “last American convertible.” Safety concerns had put the idea of open roofed vehicles on the ropes. This concern would be short lived, as a few drop tops began appearing in the 1980s, including an Eldorado Convertible for 1983. This prompted some 1976 Eldorado owners to take legal action against Cadillac, to no avail.
Mercedes stayed the course with their 450SL roadster, however, a four-seat convertible would not reappear until the 1990s with the W124 E-class. This left the gates wide open for coach builders to chop the roofs off a number of SEC Coupes. An even more rare conversion is this car we see here, a W123 Convertible for sale in Georgia. Converted by a firm in New York, this 280CE Convertible makes one wonder why Mercedes didn’t try their hand at al fresco motoring via the W123 chassis.
There’s a generally accepted rule of thumb with Mercedes-Benzes. Coupes and convertibles typically bring more money than sedans and estates. However, this clean, two owner…
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