1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SE Coupe

Description

With their timeless good looks and advanced mechanical specification, the Mercedes-Benz W111 Coupes and Cabriolets were amongst the classiest cars produced in the ‘60s. Originally launched in 1961 as the 220SE, both open and closed cars were full five-seaters, with pillarless styling by Paul Bracq and were beautifully detailed inside and out. In 1965 the 250SE was introduced, with the adoption of disc brakes all round as the major technical innovation, along with 14-inch wheels but remained otherwise substantially the same. In 1968, Mercedes-Benz simultaneously replaced both the 250SE and 300SE models with the 280SE, using a more powerful version of the six-cylinder engine and the revised floorpan shared with the new W108 model. The new motor - M130 in Stuttgart's coding system - had a single overhead camshaft, Bosch mechanical fuel injection and developed a healthy 160 bhp, with the choice of either a sophisticated four-speed automatic or manual (with the option of a five-speed) transmissions. Remaining in production from late 1967 until mid-1971, the 280SE - in either coupe or cabriolet form - were very expensive cars when new and sold in tiny numbers in comparison to the regular four-door saloons. In total, just 3797 280SE coupes were made of which 150 had right-hand drive and, of these, just 56 were delivered new to Australian customers.