Legacy Metrics

1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet

111.027.12.002107roadGermany
Engine
3.5L SOHC V8, Bosch mechanical fuel injection, 230 bhp at 6,050 rpm (SAE)
Colour
'Tunis Beige Metallic' over cognac leather interior

A 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet, chassis 111.027.12.002107, finished at the Sindelfingen factory in July 1970 for the US market. One of only 347 cabriolets produced for the 1971 model year from a total run of 1,232, the car is powered by the M116 3.5-litre V8 with Bosch fuel injection. It was comprehensively restored by recognised marque specialist Scott Melnick, and presents in Tunis Beige Metallic over Cognac leather with desirable factory options including Behr air conditioning and floor-mounted gear selector.

Ownership

  1. 2025-08-15Auction sale
    Sold US$260,000

    Bonhams catalogue lot →

  2. Date unknown
    Previous owner (unspecified)
    partial documentation

    During this tenure the car underwent a comprehensive restoration covering both mechanical and aesthetic elements, carried out by Mercedes-Benz specialist Scott Melnick.

Competition

No competition history extracted from the catalogue.

Maintenance & restoration

  1. —Restoration
    Scott Melnick

    Comprehensive restoration covering both mechanical systems and cosmetic presentation, carried out to a high standard while the car was under prior ownership.

    Melnick is described as a noted Mercedes-Benz restorer and mechanic. Specific date of the restoration is not stated in the catalogue.

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How this record is sourced

Each chassis record is compiled from public auction archives and links to its source material. Ownership, competition and maintenance entries are extracted from those catalogue listings by an LLM, which can make mistakes — please contact us with any corrections. The summary is Legacy Metrics’ own writing; we do not reproduce catalogue text.

“Full” and “partial” documentation labels indicate how well each entry is corroborated in the underlying sources, not an audit of the car’s physical paperwork. Names of recent or living owners are withheld for privacy.