There are some things in life that are all the more special because they have been cherished since day one. Objects that are passed down from generation to generation, with each subsequent keeper understanding that they are simply a caretaker of that object for a finite amount of time. Thanks to careful use and preservation, these objects can last forever, careworn over time with a charming patina that endears it to future custodians.

It could be a vintage watch, given in celebration of a special occasion. Or a cherished baseball glove steeped in childhood memories, now brought out for a casual Thanksgiving morning game of catch. Or even a briefcase, each scuff in leather a story of deals made and hopes for the future.

Or, perhaps a vintage car, built with the finest materials and intended to last a lifetime.

Offered here is that proverbial car, a Mercedes-Benz 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet—a machine so wonderfully preserved, passed from caretaker to caretaker over the decades, and now ready for the next generation.

According to data supplied by Mercedes-Benz, the car in question, chassis 001533, was originally finished just as you see it today, in midnight blue (DB 904) paintwork over a parchment leather (DB 255) with a matching dark blue soft top. Equipped for the US market, the car was fitted with a Becker Europa stereo, floor-shift automatic transmission, Behr air conditioning, and white wall tires. These options represented the ultimate specification 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet, and therefore one of the finest Mercedes-Benzes—or motorcars in general—that one could purchase in 1971.

Acquired new from a dealership in Colorado Springs, Colorado by Marjorie and Daniel O’Connell, the pair collected their new Mercedes-Benz personally and drove it straight home to Tucson, Arizona, with an overnight stop in Albuquerque, New Mexico. With its first owners, the car would remain entirely in the dry and forgiving climate of Arizona, spending its time being driven between Tucson, Phoenix, and Novales, and occasionally as far afield as the bright lights of Las Vegas. The 280 SE 3.5’s accompanying history file chronicles its upkeep throughout the O’Connell’s ownership in the 1970s with Silver Star Motors and Bill Edel Motors, Mercedes-Benz specialists located in Tucson, illustrating regular and careful maintenance throughout their ownership.

In 1987, the 280 SE 3.5 was sold to Karl Keller, who became just its second custodian. By this time the car had accrued some 16,000 miles in the O’Connells’ ownership, accounting for the vast majority of the car’s present total mileage. Keller was well known for his collection of Mercedes-Benzes and particularly of low-mileage, original cars. Sitting in his garage alongside the 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet was a supremely original 540 K Cabriolet, a long-tail, high-door 540 K Special Roadster, and 300 SL Gullwing and Roadster. It is understood that while in Keller’s ownership, the car was kept at his home in Southern California while being titled in Illinois.

While in Keller’s care, the 280 SE 3.5 was featured in Henry Rasmussen’s book Mercedes for the Road: The Survivors Series. By the time the book had been published, the car had been driven just 16,000 miles from new, and it was noted that Keller had been assured by the O’Connells that the roof had never been down in their ownership! Listed by chassis number, the book states that the car is “certainly one of the most pristine examples to be found anywhere.”

The 280 SE 3.5’s next owner would be David Bohnett of Los Angeles, who acquired the car from Keller in 2003, at which point the car had only been driven 16,500 miles from new, just 500 miles being added to the tally in Keller’s 16 years of ownership. Invoices on file show that he sent the car to the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in 2008 for a new exhaust system and extensive mechanical service, including fuel hoses and injector seals, a rebuild of the rear axle, new wheel bearings, a transmission service with new oil and filter, an engine oil service, brake fluid flush, a service of the heater and air conditioning system, and finally refinishing and repairing the car’s wood trim as necessary. Arguably the best place for a vintage Mercedes to receive this level of work on the West Coast, the work from the Classic Center totaled over $29,000, with the invoices specifying mileage at the time of service as 18,738 miles. Three years later, the car returned to the Classic Center for a further oil change and service, in addition to four new tires, having been driven approximately 200 miles since its last visit.

Remaining with Bohnett until 2014, the Mercedes-Benz was then purchased by a German collector. Only driven a few hundred miles in that ownership in order to preserve its outstanding cosmetic and mechanical condition, the car was acquired by the most recent previous owner two years ago and returned to its adopted home of Southern California (where it resided alongside a 300 SL Gullwing with period race history and a disc brake, alloy block 300 SL Roadster). Today, this fabulous machine shows approximately 20,192 miles from new at the time of cataloguing and presents in truly astounding condition for its age, no doubt a result of the fastidious upkeep and preservation of its prior custodians.

Proudly entering its sixth decade of preservation, this outstanding example is arguably the best 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet in existence—a car that has taken pride of place in one of the finest collections of Mercedes-Benzes in the United States, and that exudes a truly exceptional level of originality on top of its incredibly desirable factory specification.

The next owner of this remarkable Mercedes-Benz won’t just acquire the most original and well-preserved example of its type—they will own one of the most accomplished, glamorous, and desirable machines to ever wear the Three-Pointed Star. For such a top-tier classic to boast a dream specification, low mileage, and such a remarkable level of care and preservation is truly rare—and not an opportunity to be missed.