1971 Mercedes-Benz 200-Series

280SE Sedan

6 - Cyl.

Automatic

10801812054987

Gasoline

Hello and thanks for looking. Up for auction is this 1971 Mercedes 280SE sedan. This was my father's car -- he had it for a number of years and had some work done to it getting it fixed up as a weekend car. To start with, the car shows 47,499 miles as of today but records from the previous owner show the odometer rolled over sometime in the late 1990s. Cosmetically, the car is in fairly good condition. The car was repainted in the original color a few years ago and although not a Concours d'Elegance job, is reasonablly well done. The paint job was done without removing trim or windows. Defects: The driver's door handle appears to be slightly pushed in at the front contact with the door panel -- not really noticed unless you are looking for it. All of the hub caps appear to have not been repainted and are not exactly flawless -- see photo. Trim is all present and mostly in good shape -- a few dings here and there. I noticed a few small rust spots on the rear bumper, all in the same area. No other rust that I have seen. Interior upholstery is Mercedes leather-like material and I think the front seats were recovered not that long ago -- they are certertainly in good shape. (The red material on the carpet in the photos is some kind of pollen-like plant material that blew in the window and should vacuum up -- I didn't notice it while driving it but it shows up in the flash photos.) The wood on the dash fascia was revarnished by someone who should find another line of work, but it is present and usable. The dash material has one small crack in it near the center radio speaker. The wooden trim just inside the windshield is sun bleached and the veneer is cracked - I am not sure if it can be refinished, but it is there. Wood trim around the side windows is present but in fair condition. The AM/FM Becker Europa radio works, but has only one central speaker, and the speaker sounds like small screws are dancing around in it -- very scratchy. Mechanical Condition: The car runs great and I have been running it as a daily driver for the last month. It starts easily, idles well, does not overheat, shifts well, and has decent power. The 6-Cylinder SOHC engine runs evenly and the car runs down the freeway at 70+ without trouble. Alignment seems good as the car tracks straight down the road with no drifting. Heater/defroster works and to my suprise, so does the Thermo-King optional Air Conditioner, which blows nice and cold. All exterior lights work, although the fog lights come on with the headlights rather than independantly (something mis-wired there). The interior lights all work except the rear dome light. The front dome light works only manually, i.e., you have turn it on and off and does not work with the door opening/closing. The turn signal works, but you have to hold it in position or it switches off. Other than that, I know of no mechanical issues. The car does have rudimentary seat belts and a central brake light was added in the back windsheield for added safety. I took the car to my mechanic a few months ago for a check up and the only problem was the parking brake didn't work, and this was fully repaired by replacing the parking brake shoes on the rear wheels and adjusting the system. Parking brake now works as new. There is a small rock chip in the front windshield. Electric windows all work fine. Dash gauges all work, as do the windshield wipers. There is a spare tire but it has little tread left, whereas the four tires on the ground vary from 60-80% good. Car has records going back to the 1990s with original manual and parts book. The file is about 3" thick. Clean California Title, currently registered and it is too old to require SMOG test. Overall, this is a good driving car that presents reasonably well and runs great. Cars from this era still had personality, unlike today's car's that the late car stylist Strother MacMinn described as all looking like "half used bars of soap." I have tried to be as honest and complete as possible in the description and please ask any questions and I will try and give you the unvarnished truth as best I can. The starting bid is a bit over the recent brake repair/tune up cost of $1,200. I have thought of keeping it but have run out of space -- we are keeping my father's 1969 Mercedes 280SE 3.5 Coupe instead so this must go. $250.00 Deposit due with 48 hours of close of auction, the balance due within 7 days. Paypal and checks accepted if the buyer requests it. Thanks for looking and good hunting.