1971 Mercedes-Benz 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet

111.027.12.002871roadGermany

Engine: 3.5L V8 OHV with single overhead cam per bank, Bosch electronic fuel injection, 230 bhp
Colour: Dark blue

A 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet, one of only 1,232 examples built on the W111 chassis during the model's brief two-year production run from 1969 to 1971. Powered by the 3.5-litre M116 V-8 with Bosch electronic fuel injection, the car spent roughly three decades in enthusiast hands on both coasts of the United States before undergoing a comprehensive bare-metal restoration by Road Scholars of North Carolina. Finished in dark blue over tobacco leather, it shows 56,224 miles.

Ownership

—Auction sale
Sold US$429,000
RM Sotheby's catalogue lot →
Date unknown
West Coast collector
partial documentation
Based on the timeline described, this owner held the car for roughly a decade before it moved to the East Coast. No documentary details provided.
Date unknown
East Coast collector
partial documentation
Held the car for approximately twenty years; the car was subsequently restored by Road Scholars of North Carolina before passing to the current custodian.
Date unknownAcquisition unknown
Current custodian
partial documentation
Commissioned a thorough restoration involving bare-metal respray, engine removal, new chrome and exhaust, fresh convertible top, and full interior reupholstery.

Competition

No competition history extracted from the catalogue.

Maintenance & restoration

—Restoration
Road Scholars
Full bare-metal restoration described as no-expense-spared and finished to show quality: engine removed, bodywork stripped and repainted, all chrome renewed, new exhaust fitted, convertible hood replaced, interior completely reupholstered, and the entire car detailed including the undercarriage and engine bay.
Workshop is located in North Carolina. Work was commissioned prior to the current auction offering.

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