1970 Mercedes-Benz 280 SE 3,5

Sammlung Sonderklasse - Auction

Lot 025: 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet

Vehicle description

ONE OF ONLY 1,232 EVER MADE

DELIVERED NEW WITH SLIDING ROOF AND AIR CONDITIONER

LARGELY PRESERVED IN UNRESTORED CONDITION

FAMILY OWNED IN GERMANY UNTIL 2010

Technical details

Year: 1970

Chassis N°: 111.027-12-002852

Engine N°: 116.980-12-002558

Body N°: 00576

Production N°: 72477

Paint: 180 SILVER GREY METALLIC

Interior: 979 LEATHER DARK BLUE

Options

286 LUGGAGE NETS ON FRONT SEAT BACKRESTS

401 SINGLE SEATS

420 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, FLOOR SHIFT

431 SAFETY BELTS, FRONT

452 TWO-TONE HORN

462 REAR FOG LAMP

532 AUTOMATIC ANTENNA WITHOUT RADIO SET

541 HALOGEN LAMP UNIT, CRYSTAL CLEAR, R.H. TRAFFIC

576 FRONT FOLDING ARMREST AND HEADREST, LEFT AND RIGHT

586 BEHR AIR CONDITIONER, AND ELECTRIC WINDOW LIFTERS (FRONT AND REAR DOORS)

594 HEAT-INSULATING GLASS, WINDSHIELD AND SIDE WINDOW PANES, GERMANY

616 ADDITIONAL HALOGEN FOG LAMP

631 FIRST-AID BOX

640 ALUMINIUM DISC WHEELS WITH RADIAL-PLY TIRES

673 HIGH-CAPACITY BATTERY

744 FOLDING TOP FABRIC 5010 DARK BLUE

Provenance

14/10/1970 FA. KARL JOSEF OTTEN, MÖNCHENGLADBACH, DE

12/07/1993 ALFRED ALOYSIUS OTTEN, MÖNCHENGLADBACH, DE

26/04/2010 JOCHEN GARTZ, XANTEN, DE

Documents

GERMAN FAHRZEUGBRIEF (1970)

GERMAN REGISTRATION PAPERS (2010)

ORIGINAL SERVICE BOOKLET

About the model line

W 111

Two years after the saloon, Mercedes-Benz unveiled the Coupé and Cabriolet versions of its new flagship range at the opening of the company’s museum in Untertürkheim in February 1961. The tailfins—or, as Mercedes preferred to call them, the „parking aids“—had been pared down to little more than a subtle suggestion, while the elegant two-door models, unlike their predecessors, retained the limousine’s full wheelbase. For the first time, Mercedes offered genuine four-seaters with ample room for four adults. Their styling marked the production debut of the young French designer Paul Bracq following his arrival in Stuttgart. His creation was modern, understated and, at the same time, a masterpiece of timeless elegance. Indeed, the Coupé and Cabriolet previewed many of the styling themes later adopted by the W 108 and W 109 saloons, remaining in production throughout the entire lifespan of those model series. Building them, however, was a remarkably labour-intensive affair. Four times as many components required hand-finishing as on the four-door saloon. Luxury has always come at a price, and these elegant two-door Mercedes cost roughly twice as much as their saloon counterparts.

The range began in February 1961 with the 220 SEb, soon joined by the W 112-based 300 SE as the undisputed flagship. Costing almost 10,000 Deutsche Mark more, it came loaded with every conceivable luxury, the larger six-cylinder engine inherited from its predecessor and the sophisticated new air suspension. With 160 horsepower, later increased to 170, performance gradually caught up with the later 250 SE and eventually the 280 SE. Two years after the 300 SE had left the stage, Mercedes introduced the ultimate evolution of the series in 1969: the 280 SE 3.5, powered by an all-new V8 engine.

Its lightweight 3.5-litre aluminium V8 transformed these boulevard cruisers into genuinely rapid grand tourers. Two hundred horsepower was enough to push the speedometer beyond the magical 200 km/h mark, while the sprint to 100 km/h took less than ten seconds. The arrival of the new flagship also brought a subtle facelift. Although the saloons had already been replaced, the Coupés and Cabriolets received a wider radiator grille and redesigned bumpers. Gone was the traditional upright grille; in its place came the lower, wider grille that would define Mercedes styling for years to come, even on the standard 280 SE.

In terms of price, the 3.5 occupied exactly the same territory the 300 SE had vacated—around DM 35,000, or, put another way, well beyond the reach of most buyers. Over a production run of just three years, only 1,232 Cabriolets were built, while the Coupé found roughly 2,000 additional customers. With the 280 SE 3.5, both the model series and the era of Mercedes‘ great open four-seaters came to an end. There was no direct successor, and it would be another decade before a Mercedes Coupé returned to the top of the range. Yet the class, elegance and presence of these remarkable automobiles have never truly been surpassed.

Auction information

Auction: 07 November 2026, 14:00

Auction house: Humer Granner & Co

Starting price: 70,000 EUR

Reserve: No reserve

Viewing: 05. November 2026 10:00 – 18:00, 06. November 2026 09:00 – 18:00, 07. November 2026 ab 09:00

Location: Gewerbeparkstraße 17, 4101 Feldkirchen an der Donau, AT

Bidding: In person · Online live · Telephone · Written bid

Auction registration: Schriftliches Kaufangebot, Als Telefonbieter, Online - live

Contact: Wolfgang Humer, +43 650 7262524 / Reinhard Granner, +43 699 17127272

About the auction

This Mercedes-Benz is part of the Sammlung Sonderklasse, one of the largest private Mercedes-Benz collections in Europe. The entire collection will be auctioned from 5 to 7 November 2026 in Feldkirchen an der Donau, Austria. All 83 cars are offered without reserve.

The collection also includes around 1,000 automobilia items and several fully furnished rooms, which will be auctioned on 6 and 7 November by Ni-Cola Classics. Please note that if you want to bid on automobilia, you must register in advance at nicola-ac.de. You can also view all lots at https://auction.nicola-ac.de/

The car auction starts on Saturday 7 November at 14:00, and you can bid in person or online. The cars can be viewed on Thursday 5 November from 10:00 to 18:00. Please note that if you want to bid on this car, you must register in advance with Humer Granner at https://hg.auction/auktionen/auktion-november-2026/.

You can order the catalogue at metropole-auction.com. It also serves as your admission ticket for two people. The catalogue does not replace registration with the auction house.

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Auction overview

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