1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SE For Sale in St Louis, MO, 2146375827 Tweet

Mercedes-Benz introduced the W111 in 1959 as a broadly applied platform to replace both the bread-and-butter Ponton sedans and the complex costly Adenauer coupes and sedans. The versatile chassis architecture formed the basis of everything from four-cylinder diesel taxicabs to luxurious air-suspended six-cylinder luxury sedans. In 1961 the finned Heckflosse sedans were joined by an elegantly styled two-door coupe and cabriolet. The sedans upright styling and tail fins were a blatant appeal to the American market while the coupe and cabriolet had modern more subdued styling that proved to have better longevity. Buyers so well received the revised styling of the two-door cars that it inspired the Heckflosse sedans replacement the W108 of 1965. The two-door W111 would outlive its finned four-door counterpart by several years continuing production through 1971.Handsome and luxurious these were among the last hand-built Mercedes-Benz production cars assembled with great care by the expert staff at the storied Sindelfingen works. The glamorous coupe and cabriolet offered luxury paired with exceptional build quality a Teutonic counterpoint to the old-world Rolls-Royce Corniche. Various engines appeared in the W111 chassis but the two-door models were limited to the refined and powerful inline six-cylinder petrol engines and an all-aluminum 3.5 liter V8 toward the end of production. When equipped with the 2.8-liter Bosch-injected inline-six the 280SE is impressively capable luxurious and comfortable with continent-crushing long-distance legs. In recent years the 280 SE has become one of the most desirable post-war Mercedes this side of the 300SL and collectors cherish these fine cars for their exceptional road manners rarity and timeless style.Benefitting from a high-quality restoration this 1969 280 SE Cabriolet is a beautifully presented example of Mercedes definitive luxury grand touring car. One of just 1390 open-topped 280 SEs built over a four-year run; this car is finished in an elegant color combination of Light Ivory (DB 467) over green leather complemented by a dark green canvas soft top. It rides on factory original steel wheels with color-keyed full wheel covers and whitewall radial tires. The extensive chrome and bright trim were removed and fully refurbished as part of the restoration with exemplary fit and finish as expected from a properly restored 280 SE.This 280 SE Cabriolet was completed on 30 June 1969 as a North American specification example as denoted by option code 491 and was desirably equipped with power windows and the rarely seen limited-slip differential. The car was first purchased by Michael Ryan of Vancouver British Columbia Canada and retained by him until April 1998. After nearly 30 years of continuous ownership it was purchased by Donald Padget also of British Columbia with the odometer displaying just 53000 miles at the time of purchase. The car recently has been in the sunny climate of California and has been shown at numerous events including winning Best Mercedes at the 2022 Pacific Grove Concours first in class at the 2022 Chico Concours and second in class at the 2022 Legends of the Autobahn.An original high-spec US market car this 280 features desirable options such as electric windows dual front armrests and a Becker Europa and fitted luggage. Although the car was not born with air conditioning a proper Frigiking control unit was sourced and fitted and is backed up by a modern compressor that utilizes R134 refrigerant. In addition to the body the interior has been fully restored with upholstery burl wood trim and brightwork finished to a high standard. Green leather trim is beautiful handsomely complementing the paint color and finished with factory-correct grain and patterns. The seats carpets and interior panels are excellent appearing barely broken in since the restoration. The soft top is fully restored to include correct insulated headlining which helps keep wind noise at a minimum when the roof is up and a green leather top boot to keep things tidy with the top down. The trunk is correctly finished in satin black with the aforementioned luggage and an owners manual and tool kit are included.The matching numbers 2.8-liter Bosch fuel-injected inline-six is beautifully detailed and up to the standard of the rest of the car. Notable details include the gold-cad plated brackets and fuel pipes firewall insulation pad and white-case Mercedes-Benz battery to maintain a factory-correct appearance. The impressive engine bay is backed by solid performance and exemplary road manners.These fabulous automobiles bridge the gap between modern-era Mercedes cars and the classic hand-crafted models of the 1950s and 60s. Beyond their historical place in Stuttgart lore they are quite simply outstanding machines to drive and own cherished by collectors and marque.Offers welcome and trades considered.For additional details please view this listing directly on our website https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/7761-1969-mercedes-benz-280se-cabriolet/