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For those of us in the Northeast US who don’t enjoy warm weather year round, the question begins to be thrown about as we approach the Memorial Day holiday: “where do you summer?†Well, for me, it would be less of a question of where rather than what do I do it in. If I had my way, it would be in one of these classics, the Mercedes-Benz 280SE Cabriolet. These grand touring machines have skyrocketed in value over the past few years, and it’s no surprise, as they are some of the last truly hand-built Mercedes-Benzes, from a bygone era. This 1970 example for sale in New York is convenient for those about to hit the Hamptons this coming weekend.
Survivor is a term bandied about in the automotive enthusiast communities but it’s not always the case that a car will live up to the hype. Head west to California, however, and the state offers a treasure trove of all sorts of classic iron, from muscle cars to classic luxury, such as this one-owner 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE with 80,000 original miles. It’s rather remarkable that a car over 40 years old hasn’t cracked six figures in the mileage department yet, as you could consider my mom’s 2000 C280 sedan with 115,000 miles as a little on the low side for the year. But this car, sold via the European Delivery program and having lived its life in California, has escaped the ravages of the years.
At the outset of the 1970s, the Mercedes-Benz model range was about to have an overhaul, with a new SL roadster and S class on the way. Meanwhile, the W111 coupes and convertibles would get one last refresh in the form of the 3.5 liter, M116 engine. This small displacement V8 would live on until the early 1990s in later 3.8 and 4.2 guise. While these M116 engined 280SE Coupes are rare, add in the manual gearbox and you have a car that is extremely exclusive. Some estimate that just over 100 were produced. This example was imported to the US via Italy in the 1980s and has covered just under 50,000 miles.
Having grown up with Mercedes-Benzes in the family, I think that experience is part of the reason why I am sometimes a bit dismayed at…
Many enthusiasts still lament the passing of the Mercedes-Benzes from the 1980s and 1990s, as these cars are put on a pedestal as a monument…
