1971 Mercedes-Benz 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet

111.027.12.003777roadGermany

Engine: 3.5L V8 with Bosch D-Jetronic electronic fuel injection, 200 hp
Colour: Tobacco brown

The Mercedes-Benz 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet was the final truly hand-built automobile from the marque, produced in limited numbers — just 1,232 examples between 1969 and 1971 — combining classic W111 styling with a new 200-horsepower V-8 and Bosch D-Jetronic fuel injection. This US-market example, delivered in March 1971 in Tobacco Brown over Cognac with a dark brown hood, underwent a comprehensive nut-and-bolt restoration over approximately two years, with engine work by Los Angeles Mercedes specialist Metric Motors and interior leather sourced from GAHH Automotive.

Ownership

—Auction sale
Sold US$500,000
RM Sotheby's catalogue lot →
1971-03-02 →Factory delivery
Unnamed owner
partial documentation
Vehicle delivered new on 2 March 1971 in the US market specification; identity of original recipient not stated in the prose.
Date unknownAcquisition unknown
Southern California Mercedes-Benz collector
partial documentation
Acquired roughly four years before the sale and commissioned a comprehensive two-year nut-and-bolt restoration; maintains a sizeable collection of this Mercedes-Benz era, each cabriolet paired with a matching 280 SL.

Competition

No competition history extracted from the catalogue.

Maintenance & restoration

—Restoration
Metric Motors
Full nut-and-bolt restoration carried out over roughly two years to the owner's exacting standards: body fully stripped and repainted to factory specification, interior entirely replaced with leather from GAHH Automotive, mechanical components thoroughly recommissioned, and parts sourced from Mercedes-Benz Classic Center to ensure authenticity.
Engine rebuild performed by Metric Motors of Canoga Park, a Los Angeles-area Mercedes-Benz specialist. Restoration was commissioned by the consignor approximately four years before the sale.
—Engine rebuild
Metric Motors
V-8 engine fully rebuilt as part of the broader restoration programme.
Metric Motors of Canoga Park, well regarded locally for Mercedes-Benz specialist work, carried out the engine rebuild.

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