Highlights

﹒Matching-numbers example
﹒Exotic history, with past lives in Malta and Hong Kong
﹒Recent interior re-trim and new roof
﹒One of only 68 right-hand-drive examples built

The 280 SE cabriolet of the 1960s and early ’70s represents a high watermark for Mercedes-Benz design. Whereas the bulk of the W111 model range consisted of solid, rugged and dependable four-door saloons, brought screaming into the modern era by virtue of their ‘Heckflosse’ tail fins, there was a rakish alternative in the catalogue: styled by legendary designer Paul Bracq, the coupe and cabriolet variants eschewed the fins for a more elegant and timeless profile, and these desirable low-volume creations have passed into the pantheon of automotive design classics.

The coupe was a supremely attractive two-door affair, but it was the introduction of the 280 SE cabriolet in 1961 that really elevated the model line into the firmament of desirable grand tourers. Effortlessly suave, sumptuously appointed and fitted with all the modern accoutrements, these straight-six-powered cruisers offered a fabulous representation of crisp modern motoring for the connoisseurs of the era.

The 280 SE we have here, however, is a cut above even this eminently high bar. There’s no straight-six here, but a smooth and willing V8; a clean-sheet design, the 3.5-litre M116 engine was eased into the 280 SE for the 1969 model year, creating the 280 SE 3.5 and, in a significant and vibrant manner, allowing the car to fully realise its potential. The combination of achingly beautiful styling, engineering excellence, luxurious trim and effortless performance added up to a heady and alluring cocktail. It’s no wonder that these rare and wonderful cabriolets are so sought-after today; this is, quite simply, Mercedes-Benz at its very best. 

This is a car with a truly international history. Built in April 1970, the 280 SE 3.5 is one of only 68 factory-built right-hand-drive examples. It was first supplied to an owner in the small island nation of Malta, where it was registered to Admiralty House and lived out its early days basking in the sunshine before making its way to the United Kingdom in 1974. Its date of first registration in the UK was January 1st 1974, hence it wearing an M-suffix registration number today. After a period in Britain it then travelled to Hong Kong – the documentation lists its first HK registration date as the 25th February 1993, and when the sovereignty of the region was handed back to China in 1997, arrangements were made for the Mercedes to return to the United Kingdom, which happened in April of that year.

The current UK owner has had the car for well over twenty years, and throughout that time it’s been kept correctly maintained, in fine mechanical fettle, and always ready to use. Despite this state of cat-like readiness, it’s always been a car for holidaying and special occasions rather than day-to-day driving, and they claim the impressively low mileage of 18,218 miles to be genuine – something which appears to be backed up by the overall condition as well as the history file. In recent years the car has been treated to extensive interior attention to bring it up to tip-top condition, including re-trimming the original seats in fresh leather, fitting a new carpet set including underlay, re-trimming the dash-top, rear quarters and door tops to match the new hide of the seats, fitting new seat belts, and removing the original wood trim so that it could be re-veneered and refitted.
The upshot of all this is that the 280 SE today is wonderfully presented, fabulously correct, eminently usable, and has a whole lot of tales to tell.

The documentation that accompanies this Mercedes is thorough and comprehensive, which is just what you’d hope for with a car boasting such a diverse and intriguing past. An official document from the Homologation Department of Mercedes-Benz Cars UK confirms that this 280 SE was built in April 1970, is a genuine cabriolet (rather than a coupe that’s been beheaded, which isn’t unheard of), and was indeed first registered in Malta.

The V5 proves the car’s first UK registration date in 1974, and the HPI certificate confirms that nothing untoward has happened, and that it previously wore the registration number SFL 2. We also find a sizeable sheaf of receipts and invoices demonstrating just how carefully and fastidiously this car has been looked after over the years – all of the MOTs and servicing are accounted for, as well as replacement parts where necessary, and of course all of the recent re-trimming work is detailed in the file. There’s a manual for the modern high-end audio system that’s fitted, and most reassuring of all is a recent comprehensive health check that’s been carried out by marque expert Steve Redfearn of Wimbledon. This confirms that the car is a full and proper matching-numbers example.

The Mercedes has its original seats, and the recent retrim has been beautifully carried out in the correct Nero Black hide, maintaining the factory contours and positions. The front seats recline properly to allow access to the rear, and all of the seats are deeply stuffed with no obvious sign of sagging or deterioration within. In the rear we find the correct armrest and ashtrays, and the car has received new carpets throughout, including new underlay. The dials are all in working order, and the dash is beautifully presented with just a little patination around the top of the steering column and the centre of the wheel.

The original wood trim has been re-veneered to a superb standard, and the car is fitted with a tasteful Retrosound Model 2 head unit – a modern stereo including full iPhone and iPod integration, Bluetooth and DAB radio while perfectly matching the aesthetics of the interior. All of the correct trim is in place, and there are no obvious signs of wear or damage, testament to how well the car has been looked after. The Redfearn report notes that a wiring issue means that the dash illumination lights don’t presently function, and the warning lamp for the foglights doesn’t operate. Aside from this, we found everything to be working correctly, including the electric windows and heater.

Inside the boot, everything is dry and solid, with the correct spare wheel and wheel wrench in place.

Finished in tasteful Arctic White, the 280 SE is a truly impressive thing to behold. The panels all sit straight and true with nice even shut-lines, and the doors close with a very pleasing and tactile thunk. We found no evidence of stone-chips, dents, scuffs or parking dings, everything appears to be remarkably straight and honest. The Redfearn report mentions that some re-chroming has happened, and all of the chrome-work (including the radiator grille, bumpers, handles, mirrors, badges, and window- and light-surrounds) are in excellent condition, with the only blemish thereof being a small patch of corrosion on the rear bumper just above the exhaust tails.

The paintwork is generally in good order, with just a little age-related cracking visible on the bonnet; there is evidence of some very, very slight corrosion where the 280 SE boot badge and windscreen wiper arms meet the body, but this would most likely be very easy to sort as topical touch-ups. The car has been fitted with a new soft-top hood, which is stowed within a perfectly-fitting tonneau. The wheels are all correct, complete with matching hubcaps and fitted with good-quality tyres. The overall impression is of a wonderfully solid and honest example of this rare and iconic machine.

The 280 SE 3.5 was the first post-war Mercedes-Benz to be fitted with an engine larger than three-litres, and the M116 3.5-litre V8 is a truly impressive unit, delivering its 200bhp with effortless smoothness and whisper-quiet operation, save for a pleasing rasp from the tailpipes under eager acceleration. The engine fires easily on the first turn of the key, settling into an even idle, and once warmed up it registers all the correct temperatures and pressures, pulling keenly through the revs and the gears, and providing the appropriate levels of consummate waft that one would expect from a grand tourer such as this. The Redfearn report mentions evidence of a slight fuel leak from the tank and water stains around the base of the radiator. The underside of the car is impressively solid and in good general condition; there are no issues with the brakes, and the suspension is in good order with the kingpins having been overhauled.

The idea of owning a 280 SE is the stuff of dreams for many an enthusiast, and this other-worldly dreaming is only exacerbated when the car in the fictional narrative is a late-model 3.5. These super-rare and ultra-desirable cruisers pull together all of the most vivid and vibrant elements of Mercedes-Benz history, from the fabulous design to the impeccable engineering, and adding in that creamy-smooth 3.5-litre V8 as a piquant cherry on the top.

The 280 SE 3.5 is a rare treat indeed, and in right-hand-drive form it’s all the more obscure as there were only ever 68 of these put together in the Stuttgart factory. And within this vanishingly small pool, the example we have here is perhaps the one with the most stories to tell – a true international adventurer, it’s travelled the globe seeking out the balmiest and most tropical beauty spots, in between being fabulously pampered by its UK owners, who have taken great care in keeping it as original as possible while also ensuring that the condition befits the car’s glory and prowess. Today, this is a truly intriguing and alluring proposition; a real one-of-a-kind character, with many more chapters of its life story still to be written.

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