1971 Mercedes-Benz 280S – Classified of the Week

There is something so utterly delightful about a classic car that has been built to be used in anger. Don’t get us wrong, we love gleaming chrome and histories full of love and attention, but we also love a classic built for motorsport. That’s why we’ve plucked this 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280S from the listings. You see, this particular 280S is no longer your traditional executive saloon, instead it has been built to be an endurance rally car. The kind of thing that can go where there are no roads, where there are no people, where there is only adventure and excitement. And we dig that.

The chrome bumpers have gone in favour of black, solid nudge bars, the front of which wears a set of PIAA spotlights. The wheels are black steels, each one wrapped in rugged rubber. There are skit plates, Bilstein dampers, harnesses and a full roll cage where MB Tex could once be found. It’s a serious bit of kit, one that has proven its worth, too. This car has successfully completed the 2013 Peking to Paris Motor Challenge, the 2015 Sahara Challenge finishing well as the 2nd Classic and in 2018 Winning the Himalayan Challenge as the 1st overall Classic.

Power comes from a hardy 2.8 litre straight-six petrol with twin downdraft carbs mated to a tough-as-boots four-speed manual sending 140bhp to the willing rear wheels. This 280S is left-hand drive, which is exactly what you want when traversing the globe, and the interior is laden with rally equipment such as the top of the range Monit G-200 and a Terratrip 303 which has a separate driver’s display. Further aids for that black art of co-driving include a pair of digital stopwatches, a Garmin Montana GPS, a map light, and some all-important pen holders! Because you’re going to need to take notes, naturally.

The best bit, however, is not the car itself, but the fact it has been prepped and is being sold by Oxfordshire-based RPS. We visited them a couple of years back, which you can read about here. This little hive of activity is home to machines like this, but not only that, the team there will be happy to advise you on rallies, prep and any other information you may need should you be new to this world. For both seasoned competitors and novices, RPS will also be happy to work out a schedule of ongoing care for this 280S, so it’s always fighting fit.

It’s a curious beast, there is no doubt. But it’s one that is sure to be the bedrock of incredible memories. It’s been prepared and built with no expense spared, and it’s a proven competitor to boot. The world of endurance rallies is exciting, but seldom spoken about with events on traditional tracks taking the limelight. If you want to do something different though, and you want to make sure you get to the end, you need to buy the 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280S. Have an adventure. Make memories.