Arguably one of the prettiest hard-top cars to ever wear the silver star badge, the W111 ‘Fin tail’ or ‘Heckflosse’ family of coupés and sedans were introduced in 1959 and lasted until 1971.
Ranging from a lowly 2.2-litre inline-six up to a 3.5-litre V8 engine in the top-of-the-line models, the W111 was able to fill the requirements for virtually all of Mercedes’ clientele.
Interestingly, despite the W111 being designed by Fredrich Geiger, the coupé and cabriolet models were designed by Paul Bracq, and featured a far more subtle rear-end design with less prominent fins.
With production of the coupé beginning in late 1960, the final run-out model of the coupe was released in 1969, dubbed (somewhat confusingly) the 280 SE 3.5 which is what we have here. Fitted with the brand-new M116 3.5-litre V8 engine with 200hp and a top speed of 127/130mph (depending on transmission) it revolutionised the W111 from a performance perspective.
The 280 SE 3.5 can also be immediately recognised by the redesigned front grille, bumpers and rear lenses, but was otherwise markedly similar to its preceding models.
Significant expenditure in recent years to restore the car to a high standard
Strong paperwork and history folder, along with photographs of the restoration works
With its current registered keeper for nearly 20 years
First registered in October 1971 - several months after production ceased, making this an exceedingly late-production example of the already rare and desirable 3.5-litre 280 SE.
Not a great deal is known about its history prior to coming into the care of the current registered keeper just shy of 20 years ago in November 2003, but in the years since the car has been regularly maintained, and in more recent times has been subject to a money-no-object restoration costing well over £100,000, and as such the car now presents very well indeed throughout, but retains some of its wonderful period charm and patina in some areas, but is mechanically thought to be absolutely sound, meaning this pillar-less coupé is ready for summer evening cruises and long-distance road trips.
Of course, all of the paperwork, invoices and other documentation for this restoration work is included in the gallery below, so be sure to pop the kettle on, settle down and work your way through it - it’s worth it. J9fzyhlhdFDULRKDqFtAjQ7zcO1XgObpBmv4txji.jpg1.82 MB
The Interior
Re-trimmed seats and other areas, presenting in very good condition throughout
Fantastic patina to the steering wheel
Capacious boot
Incredibly comfortable - the ideal long-distance family classic?
Inside, this graceful classic presents very well indeed, having been treated to a re-trim and other cosmetic attention as part of the aforementioned restoration works, and with limited use since, these seats have barely been sat-in, let alone broken-in or weathered.
The steering wheel and various other touch-points such as the door pulls, chrome details and switchgear all exhibit a wonderful and commensurate age-related patina, with the steering wheel in particular displaying a wonderful spiderweb-like weathering, which we’d be tempted to leave as-is.
Up above, the headliner is clean and secure throughout, whilst the carpets are also in good condition overall, showing only a few signs of use around the edges of the doors.
During our photo shoot, we noted that the offside rear window mechanism was inoperative, as was the sunroof. Otherwise, there are no known or reported faults within the cabin. 16aGj8kn7DZ0UaP38woT3PvEE00AWIeNFLY3sgbI.jpg1.37 MB
The Exterior
Extensive bare-metal respray
Fantastic paintwork colour - very good condition overall
Simply stunning - a true crowd-pleaser
Moving outside, there is absolutely no denying the sheer presence and grace that this 280 SE carries. With its subtle rear fins, pillar-less side profile and that instantly-recognisable Mercedes-Benz front end, you’re sure to draw a crowd wherever you go.
The paintwork and body is also in great condition overall, having been stripped and re-sprayed during the restoration work which is detailed in the documents section below (both with a set of photographs and the associated paperwork) and it remains in very good order, with some slight micro-blistering noted on the offside rear wing below the rear side window, and a crack/deformation in the lower NSR wing. There are also the usual light chips visible to the edges of the doors, though these are largely hidden in day-to-day use.
The various chrome trims, details and badges are all present-and-correct, and wear a commensurate age-related patina, whilst the chrome bumpers retain a wonderful shine and present very well.
All four wheels are in excellent condition, with no kerb damage or major wear visible to the trademark M-B ‘beauty dishes’ that adorn the wheels, whilst the car wears a set of four matching Goodyear EfficientGrip tyres. CunmQCXba8hASoT0YdGETBY0HndzoyrlJtFgJflr.jpg1.25 MB
The Mechanicals
Desirable ‘final model’ 3.5-litre M116 V8 engine
Runs and drives very well, no reported mechanical issues
Underside in excellent condition, with all known corrosion attended to during restoration works
Under the bonnet, the M116 engine at the heart of this uber-cool 70’s cruiser appears to be in excellent health, starting and running well from cold before settling into a smooth idle with an excellent soundtrack.
We did note that after sitting for 15 minutes in the sun (once run up to temperature) the car was slightly hesitant to start, but once up-and-running behaved perfectly, whilst an ‘instant’ hot start showed no issues.
The engine and its ancillaries look to be in good order, with any known issues addressed and a full engine rebuild (including new crank, among other works) being carried out during the restoration works which culminated in 2021.
Testament to the level of works carried out, the car was MoT’d in June 2021, and passed with flying colours and no advisory items at 87,927 miles.
Underneath, the condition of the car speaks for itself, and we’ve included a gallery of photographs showing its condition, which is almost as pristine as the upper side of the car!
On account of its age and being registered as a historic vehicle, the car is exempt from mandatory MoT examinations.
With significant expenditure in recent years, a recent insurance valuation of £148,500.00 and the sort of gorgeous looks that can only be found on a Mercedes-Benz of this era, this is a fantastic opportunity to obtain a wonderful example of the rare and desirable 280 SE 3.5, which is ready to jump-in and use, but with a few areas for further fettling, should you wish to do so.
Opportunities like this don’t come around often, so make sure you make the most of it. Go on, you know you want to…
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