1971 Mercedes-Benz 200-Series

Coupe

8 - Cyl.

Automatic

11102612001674

Gasoline

Up for auction is my 1971 Mercedes Benz 280 SE 3.5 coupe, which is in excellent condition, with the odometer showing a mileage of 66,373, which I believe is accurate. This is one of the desirable and rare 3.5 V8 'low grille' coupes, with only 3,270 being produced. The car is painted black, with black leather interior. It has a fabulous wooden Nardi steering wheel (signed 'E. Nardi'), burl walnut veneer, chrome trim over the wheel arches, as well as a factory sunroof and power windows. It is absolutely gorgeous, especially in this color, and draws admiring glances everywhere I take it - a real show-stopper and people magnet. The paint is in good condition, it has a few minor blemishes (see below) but you have to look to find them. It is certainly very presentable overall. From its appearance and depth of lustre, I would say that this is lacquer paint and I think it's about 10+ years old. The previous owner had a fine red pinstripe applied, along with his initials ('KBH') on the driver's door. The pinstripe really sets off the cars design and adds a beautifully elegant touch to a timeless and classic design by the the great Paul Bracq. Truly this is a stunningly handsome car that is considered the last of the 'handbuilt' Mercedes. In its day, it cost a small fortune, and was a favorite of the rich and famous everywhere.I think it's one of the most beautiful cars every built. I bought the car from a local German collector whom I know quite well, who owned it for around 18 years, as I recall. He only drove it sparingly in the summer months, and almost never in rain. According to him, he bought it from the second owner who apparently had the car stored for many years. He told me the mileage was original and I have no reason to disbelieve him, though I cannot verify it. The engine starts and runs very well, with no smoke or any other known issues. It holds oil pressure well. The transmission is typically jerky when first engaged but thereafter shifts smoothly. The brakes are like those of a modern car - smooth and powerful. The Behr air conditioning works well (but needs a freon charge), as do the sunroof and power windows. The car cruises very well, and tracks nice and straight down the highway. The interior burl walnut wood is in very good shape for a car of this vintage, as are the leather seats (there is some cracking along the sides of the passenger seat). The rear seats look like they've been barely used and the carpet is in excellent shape and is original as I understand from the previous owner (it is a dark brown color, as the original color of the car was a cream/beige). The varnish on the wood is peeling slightly at the base of the 'A' pillars and on the front strip of wood that runs along the edge of the windshield. These are pretty minor flaws in my opinion - everyone's first reaction when they see the interior is 'wow - the wood and interior look great!' The headliner is not sagging. The interior has a wonderful 'old car' smell of wood and leather, and resembles the interior of a classic yacht. This car has been in several local car shows as well as the prestigious 'Eyes on Design' exhibition; I also drive it during the Woodward Dream Cruise and my family and I enjoy it all summer (only in dry weather - never in snow or rain). While not in 'concours' shape, it is extremely presentable and a great driver. Here is the list of features/highlights: Factory sunroof and Behr a/c - both working (a/c needs freon) Nardi steering wheel All power windows - working Column mounted shifter Burl walnut veneer Leather seats Blaupunkt am/fm cassette radio (not original) Original carpet Chrome trim on fenders Factory sunroof - working Extra set of aluminum alloy wheels as well as an extra wheel and painted hubcap (as currently mounted) Newer white sidewall tires with barely any wear Manufacture date June 1970 Paint code 670 H (car has been repainted black) Here is a list of key issues that I'm aware of: Tach is not working (previous owner indicated that the cable may be disconnected but I have not verified) PRNDL (transmission) indicator in dash is loose - doesn't move properly (no impact on transmission or shifting) Driver's door slightly out of alignment Rear bumper looks to have been replaced - car has the European bumper as well as US-style license plate lights door ding (touched up) on passenger side cigarette lighter and wipers don't work. The wiper motor seems to make a noise when switched on but arms don't move. The black plastic edge of one of the a/c knobs is broken (the knob is fine, just the black edge around the metallic center) Some of the center heating/ventilation controls are a little stiff - some move easily. I am reluctant to force the stiff ones. superficial surface mark in paint on trunk lid Some thin cracks in passenger seat leather. Clock ticks but I think the hands are loose In terms of rust, the entire floorpan, transmission tunnel and trunk floor are sound as far as I can tell - no major issues (other than what you would expect for a vehicle of this age). There is a small rust patch near the right front headlight. The previous owner patched this up several years ago and it has been Ok since - there is no further degradation or bleed-through that I can see and he confirmed that it had not deteriorated. There are some small areas of perforation along the bottom of the left sill. All the pictures that show corrosion are of the left sill, as viewed from under a hoist. There are a couple of small bubbles in the back (right rear fender) and a small paint crack on the left rear fender but they have remained unchanged - so I think the metal underneath is OK. The trunk floor is sound. There is some surface rust in the left wheel well in the trunk - this is very common in these cars as water would collect there. However, it does not appear to be rusted through. All undercarriage attachment points are solid. The chrome is in good condition, there is some slight pitting especially on the rear bumper but it does not detract from the vehicle's appearance. The headliner seems to have some stains that will need cleaning, but they are not major. There is some light water staining of the headliner near the sunroof, I'm guessing that the seal leaked sometime in the past. This is not disfiguring, and since I haven't driven the car in rain, I know it did not happen under my ownership. The sunroof closes nice and tight and the rubber seal looks good now so it was probably replaced at some point. I have included several pictures from various angles to show the undercarriage as clearly as possible, including multiple pictures of the rust-affected areas. I do not have the car's service file. The previous owner (who is a well-known local collector as I mentioned) may still have some service records, and he has told me he'll look for any and give them to me. Please assume for now that they are not available. In fact, he does a lot of work on his cars himself in his well-equipped shop so there may be no official service records anyway. However, I have known him for several years so I did not worry too much about this when I bought the car, as I trusted him (and still do). He takes really good care of all his cars and it's obvious he took very good care of this one. It was one of his personal favorites - as he even had it monogrammed with his initials on the driver's door! I have honestly listed everything I can think of or know about, but I recommend that you satisfy yourself as to the car's condition before bidding. There may be things I'm simply not aware of, and I am not an automotive expert by any means. I have had it up on a hoist to take the pictures you see, but other than that have had no real reason to probe and check every square inch of the car. These cars are now 40 years old, so please keep that in mind when considering condition, maintenance, repairs, etc. I will say that the car runs great and looks wonderfully elegant - you can start enjoying it today. If you wish to order an independent inspection, I will be willing to set up an appointment with sufficient notice. I am an honest eBayer with 100% feedback, and I intend to keep it that way by being completely up-front with everything I know about the car. I bought this car with every intention of keeping it. I'm selling it only because of a change in my priorities. However, I am not desperate to sell, so please don't try to lowball me. If you are reading this, you know what these cars are worth and how desirable they are - especially in a color like this!. My reserver is very reasonable and in line with fair value - I'm not trying to flip the car and make a windfall profit. I have accounted for the fact that the car is not perfect and that the new owner may wish to address some of the above issues at some point in the future. During my ownership, the car has been garaged and only driven on sunny, dry days. I will continue to drive it occasionally during the next few months so the mileage my be slightly higher than it is today. This car is advertised in other locations as well, so it is subject to pre-sale/early listing termination. Please ask all questions BEFORE bidding by email or phone (248-736 3120 or 201 496 8641) - serious buyers only, please. Please don't call with ridiculous offers. Note - I am in the Eastern time zone. Please don’t waste my time. Have money in hand before bidding and approvals from wife and banker. The car is sold as-is with no warranty expressed or implied. A $1000 non-refundable deposit must be paid via PayPal within 48 hours of auction end. Car must be paid in full within 7 Days (cashier's checks must clear into my account) before I will transfer the title and give possession. Please do not expect to take possession until the financial transaction is complete. Shipping is the sole responsibility of the buyer; I will assist your shipper in loading at my convenience. Car must be picked up within 14 days or deposit will be forfeited (I will work with your shipper when they call). Car is for sale locally so I reserve the right to cancel all bids and auction at any time for any reason without warning. Feel free to make an appointment to view the car; the car is located in Metropolitan Detroit.