1973 Mercedes-Benz

This is a well-kept 1973 Mercedes 280 SE 4.5 Liter V-8 making right around 195 BHP. Production of the 280SE with the 4.5 Liter was a limited run introduced in the last years of the W108 line between 1971 and 1973. In 1973 the 4.5 Liter engine was only available for cars being built for export to the USA and were mated with an automatic transmission with a torque converter rather than the fluid coupling that was available on the earlier European models. This particular 4.5 and automatic transmission operate very well. The engine starts every time and idles smooth with no hesitation on acceleration. The transmission shows no signs of wear or slipping.

This car has its original Mercedes-Benz service history booklet that was filled in without fail until 1998. The car had spent most of its life in California and the last service entry was in Beverly Hill Mercedes Benz in 1998. This car is all original being that it was kept so well.

The body is in excellent condition as the car has been stored mostly since it was bought by its current owner in 2008. The paint is the original Maple Yellow which has never been repainted. The original paint is a true testament to how well the car has been cared for.

The interior has held up well over the years. A sign that the car did not see a lot of sun is that the burl walnut dashboard does not show signs of delamination or cracking. Though the car would benefit from having a new interior to wash away subtle signs of age such as the wear in the piping on the seats, the interior has survived and has been kept the same as the rest of the vehicle and it quite drivable as it is.

A rare survivor, this car would be good for use as a driver and a great basis as a project for freshening up.