Fashion is notoriously fickle, but truly beautiful, well-crafted objects never go out of style. In the automotive realm, few offerings are more stylish than the Mercedes-Benz 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet. Considered the last of the hand-built Mercedes-Benzes, they have never fallen out of favor since their introduction, and limited production meant there have never been quite enough around to keep up with demand. In total, 1,232 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolets were built from 1969–1971, with just 347 made in their final year of production.

Completed in April 1971, this final-year Cabriolet was delivered new via Rallye Motors of Glen Cove, New York. Finished in the rich combination of Tobacco Brown over a Cognac interior, it was factory-equipped with the sought-after floor-mounted gear selector for the automatic transmission, as well as a Becker Europa stereo unit, power steering, brakes, and windows, and a power-operated fabric convertible top.

The original warranty book, which accompanies the sale, shows that the car was serviced at both its original dealership and Gerrish Motors of picturesque Woodstock, Vermont for the first several years of its life. Moving westward, subsequent service visits were recorded at Scholfield Bros. of Wichita, Kansas, then German Auto Service of Phoenix, Arizona, and finally, by 1979, European Imports of Albuquerque, New Mexico, with 54,212 miles indicated.

By the turn of the Millenium, the car had relocated to Oregon; there, in addition to scrupulous routine maintenance, invoices on file document a mild cosmetic refreshening that included front seat reupholstery in the correct Cognac leather, as well as recovered door and dashboard panels, fitment of Wilton wool carpeting, and installation of seals and weatherstripping. Under the care of the consignor, who acquired the car in 2020 from an owner in Pennsylvania, it has been domiciled in France and Portugal. There, it benefitted from over $6,000 in service items (including new tires) in 2023.

Returning to its original market of the United States ahead of this sale, the car’s 87,592 miles indicated at cataloguing reflect a well-lived life on two continents. The result is a 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet that has been carefully maintained and refurbished as needed, but which remains largely original overall. Commensurate with this state of preservation, it retains its numbers-matching V-8 engine. A Becker Grand Prix stereo radio unit is presently fitted in the cabin.

Desirable when new and even more coveted today, this timeless 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet is sure to find an appreciative home wherever the stylish gather—be it the scenic small towns of New England, the resorts of the desert West, or the shores of the Portuguese Riviera.