1969 Mercedes-Benz 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet

111.027.12.003241roadGermany

Engine: 3.5L V8 with Bosch D-Jetronic electronic fuel injection, 230 bhp
Colour: Light beige (DB181)

A rare 1969–1971 Mercedes-Benz 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet, one of only 1,232 produced, finished in Light Beige (DB181) with its original dark brown leather interior intact. Delivered new to a New Jersey Mercedes-Benz dealer, the car passed through two further owners before a meticulous two-decade restoration was completed by Karl Bekemeier. It retains its original engine and is equipped with desirable factory options including Behr air conditioning and a floor-mounted automatic gear selector.

Ownership

—Auction sale
Sold US$302,500
RM Sotheby's catalogue lot →
2015 →Private sale
Current consignor
partial documentation
Purchased the fully restored car in 2015 and has added fewer than 2,000 miles; recently serviced the vehicle and fitted new tyres.
Date unknownFactory delivery
New Jersey Mercedes-Benz dealership owner
partial documentation
Original acquirer of the vehicle, owner of a Mercedes-Benz retail operation in New Jersey; US-market delivery.
Date unknownAcquisition unknown
Harry Scaggs
partial documentation
Pennsylvania-based collector known for careful stewardship; initiated a restoration but could not finish due to declining health, leaving the car partially disassembled.
Date unknownPrivate sale
Karl Bekemeier
partial documentation
Acquired the partially disassembled car from Scaggs; rebuilt mechanical and engine components, had bodywork refinished in original color, and spent roughly two decades completing the project. Showed the car occasionally but drove it very little afterward.

Competition

No competition history extracted from the catalogue.

Maintenance & restoration

—
Engine rebuild
The engine and all mechanical components were overhauled as part of the broader restoration project initiated after the car was acquired by Karl Bekemeier.
Work began after Harry Scaggs had partially disassembled the car but was unable to complete the restoration.
—
Bodywork
The exterior was refinished in the car's original Light Beige (DB181) factory colour during Bekemeier's restoration. Interior leather, carpets, wood trim, and chrome were assessed as sufficiently preserved and left largely undisturbed.
Restoration spanned roughly twenty years in total; odometer read approximately 39,000 miles upon completion, believed original.
—
Service
Recent routine servicing carried out, including recharging the air conditioning system and fitting five new Michelin tyres.
Performed during or shortly before consignment to auction by the current vendor.

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