Classic Mercedes Benz Coupe Reminds Us of the Good Old Days
Hand-built, pillar-less and dressed to the 9s with tiny tail fins, this gold-colored 1970 Mercedes 280SE gives us classic car envy.
From 1967 through 1971, Mercedes produced what is arguably one of the finest driving luxury coupes in the form of the W111 280SE. Reaching a pinnacle in its final years of production, the ultimate 280SE to own was the one optioned with the 3.5 liter V8 engine. Shown here is a 1970 model from Gosford Classic Cars, which has recently undergone a full restoration to all original specs.
W111 coupes differed from their sedan siblings mostly in styling, with the coupes losing the distinct tail-fins found at the rear of sedans. However, their pillar-less coupe design, coupled with the lower wider grille for the V8 models really gave a sense of presence that these hand-built cars truly deserved. There aren’t too many styling cues we see from this coupe that carry over into the current showroom, but we assume this rear window design was part of the inspiration for the C215.
Gold paint from the original car was completely stripped and re-sprayed, and even the green leather upholstery is said to be period-correct. We also admire the work that has been done to preserve the original wood interior. Even small things like the original factory Becker radio have been retained.
Under the hood lies the M116 V8 engine. Displacing 3,499cc, it wasn’t the biggest V8 Mercedes produced, but it was the biggest you could get for the 280SE. Output was impressive for the era, with 200 horsepower on tap, ready to go through a Mercedes four-speed automatic gearbox.
Mercedes was all about luxury at this point, with no hints of AMG madness anywhere in sight. As such we’d expect this car to drive silky smooth, and be ultra quiet. A 600 Pullman or Grosser it is not, but 200 horsepower from the V8 engine would surely be sufficient to whisk away the upper levels of society.
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