1971 Mercedes-Benz 280 SE

£ 147 500

LHD

Low Grill Version

Amazingly restored example

Original Book pack

3.5 litre

We love a 3.5. When a Mercedes of this era wears this badge, instantly kudos is given to the owner. For some reason some cars carry this effect and the 280 SE 3.5 is certainly one of them. Ours here fully restored to exacting standards. Mechanically perfect, cosmetically equal and a real 'humdinger'! The original manuals that make up the history too, of which some pictures are in the set above, is something we've never seen. The original book pack is there, stamped at 1971, the original data card, manuals, Mercedes-Benz sleeve. It is really unusual, and a lovely accompaniment to a car of its quality.

These cars were introduced at the 1969 Frankfurt Motor Show, and was the ultimate evolution of the W111 series — the last of the hand-built grand tourers from Sindelfingen, where craftsmanship still triumphed over production efficiency (and where all the coachbuilt Mercedes were produced for a famous Austrian Painter). Beneath its elegant form lay the quiet confidence of a company at its engineering peak.

The design was mega, overseen by Friedrich Geiger, and remains one of Mercedes' most timeless shapes. The pillarless coupé body — glass to glass from A- to C-pillar — gave the car an effortlessly graceful profile, perfectly proportioned and rich in subtle detail. Every panel was hand-fitted, each door shut with the satisfying precision of a bank vault, and the brightwork, though plentiful, was never ostentatious.

Inside, deeply polished veneers and finely stitched hides created an atmosphere of hushed sophistication, more akin to a private study than a motor car. This was not a vehicle intended to shout its presence; rather, it exuded quiet authority — the sort of car owned by ambassadors, industrialists and connoisseurs who valued discretion as much as prestige.

Yet beneath the restrained exterior beat a heart that was entirely new for Mercedes-Benz. The 3.5-litre V8, known internally as the M116, and it was the marque's first modern eight-cylinder engine and a technical tour de force! With aluminium heads, hydraulic valve lifters and Bosch D-Jetronic electronic fuel injection, it produced a smooth and effortless 200 horsepower, delivered with characteristic refinement. Capable of over 130 mph and reaching 60 mph in under nine seconds, the 280 SE 3.5 had performance to match its elegance — all achieved with the subdued murmur of a perfectly balanced V8 rather than an aggressive roar.

Power is transmitted through a four-speed automatic gearbox, while beneath the polished bodywork lay one of the most sophisticated chassis of its time. Independent suspension on all four corners — double wishbones at the front and a low-pivot swing axle at the rear — endowed the car with remarkable composure and comfort, particularly over the rougher roads of its era. Power-assisted disc brakes on all four wheels ensured that the car's ample performance could be reined in with equal confidence, and the recirculating ball power steering provided a distinctive lightness of touch that defined Mercedes' character for decades to come.

From behind the wheel, the 3.5 feels entirely cohesive — solid, supple, powerful, poised. The ride is serene, the steering smooth, and the engine's muted hum always reassuring in the background. Even today, there is a mechanical precision to its movements that reminds us of how carefully these cars were built. The 280 SE 3.5 was, after all, a hand-assembled masterpiece; each example took hundreds of hours to complete, with fit and finish approaching that of a bespoke Coach Built car.

European-market cars such as this one are especially prized for their cleaner lines and slimmer chrome bumpers, details that preserve the purity of Geiger's original vision. They stand apart from the bulkier U.S. variants, whose added reflectors and side markers somewhat diluted the design's elegant simplicity.

In many ways, the 280 SE 3.5 Coupé marked both a culmination and a farewell — the last truly artisanal Mercedes before the brand transitioned to more industrialised methods of production. It remains a car that defines an era when quality was absolute, when engineering was guided by principle rather than cost. More than half a century later, its beauty and integrity endure.

The excellent example we have for you to consider is in remarkable condition, as you can see from the pictures. Not only is she cosmetically perfect, mechanically she is too.

Fitted with factory power steering, electric windows, Behr air conditioning, tinted glass, front head restraints, seat belts and the desirable gear shift on the central tunnel. Oh yes, also the original Becker radio still works well, with the electric aerial setting things off nicely

Previously owned in Italy she was purchased by an enthused collector and driven to his home in Bordeaux. Some time later our intrepid chum from Ireland travelled to see this 'cracker', fell in love, purchased there and then, drove to Bilbao from whence he arrived in Rosslare and drove her home without a hiccup.

Similarly to arrive here in London, rather than using a transporter, he wanted to use her for the last time, and without a thought he drove her straight to us in London, and loved every minute.

Once we had completed our paperwork I drove him and his sister in the Mercedes, and it must be said it was in dense traffic - well the temperature gauge was steady, as was the idle, gears swapped almost imperturbably with that lovely V8 hum in the background

To encounter a well-preserved example today is to be reminded that Mercedes-Benz once built cars not merely to a standard, but to a philosophy — one that prized craftsmanship, silence, and strength in equal measure, and what a car it must have been in it's day!!