In the early 1970s, Mercedes-Benz built what many people believe was the finest automobile in the world; with a price of $13,766 it was quite expensive for its day. For the buyers who wanted the perfect mixture of power and luxury there was no finer choice than the 280SE 3.5 Coupe.

This fabulous 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Coupe is finished in stunning Silver Grey Metallic over Burgundy leather interior. This 3.5 is a European model and was verified by the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center as having left the factory a 3.5-liter V-8 engine with a four-speed manual gearbox (as now seen) and delivered new to Europe. Research indicates that as few as 125 copies of the 3.5 coupes were built with the manual transmission. The car was imported to the United States sometime in the 1990s and has been in Arizona until moving to Southern California where it was placed in a large private collection in the mid-2000s and has resided ever since.

The car has undergone a repaint and has a beautiful finish. The paint on the car was done sometime in the mid-2000s along with many new rubber and trim pieces, all-new Mercedes-Benz wood elements, a complete mechanical refreshing and service, new suspension and front end and a rework of the electrical system. In 2013 the car had a new timing chain and tensioners, belts and hoses, plugs and wires done and brand new period tires. The paint finish is beautiful; there are no scratches, dents or dings on the car and there is absolutely no rust damage anywhere on the car or any rust repair work found. The undercarriage of the car is solid and clean and well presented. There are no signs of any accident damage or repair work of any kind.

All of the chrome shows very well with light pitting in some areas, but overall a very nice and vibrant finish with minimal age (one small dent in the passenger rear taillight chrome housing). The leather interior is completely original and in beautiful condition showing light patina. The car has traveled reported modest mileage and the interior shows exceptionally well. The leather has some age marks and slight creasing, but there are no tears or damage to the leather. The carpets are the original German spec and show well for their age. All of the wood and switch gear are in outstanding condition.

The engine starts right up and runs smoothly and does not smoke on start up or idle. The transmission shifts smoothly into gears without any grinding or slipping and the clutch has an excellent pedal feel without any slipping or fade. The brakes are solid and free from any fading or grinding. The steering is nice and tight and solid without any play or drifting. All of the electrical equipment is operating as designed including all of the exterior lights, turn signals, reverse lights, brake lights, taillights and headlights plus all of the interior lights are functioning. The courtesy lights come on with the doors, the glovebox light is working and all of the dash lights are working and the original power antenna and original Becker radio. The factory air conditioning operates properly on all of the fan speeds.

This is an outstanding running and driving 3.5 Mercedes-Benz Euro-spec Coupe, delivered with the very rare factory four-speed manual gearbox and represents a wonderful opportunity to experience the height of early 1970s luxury performance.