To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' Miami event, 27 - 28 February 2025.

• One of only 870 hand-built examples completed in 1970
• Beautifully presented and previously restored by marque specialist Jürgen Klockemann
• Finished in its original color scheme of Medium Blue Metallic over Parchment leather and dark blue top
• Retains its numbers-matching 3.5-liter V-8 engine
• German-market car desirably equipped with Behr air-conditioning system, floor-shift automatic transmission, Becker radio, color-matched wheel covers, and power windows

Please note that this lot is titled as a 1971.

Introduced in the fall of 1969, the Mercedes-Benz 280 SE 3.5 combined the classic styling of earlier W111 models with a more streamlined rear end and an all-new, 200-horsepower V-8 engine featuring Bosch D-Jetronic electronic fuel injection. Sumptuous accommodations for four included a fully lined top in the traditional stacked German cabriolet layout. Each convertible top required more than 16 hours of hand labor, the framework concealed from view by a full interior headliner. On average, only 13 cars were finished per week, with Mercedes-Benz producing just 1,232 examples from 1969 to 1971. This was the automaker’s final, truly hand-built automobile.

Offered today from the Todd Blue LAPIS Collection, this wonderfully restored left-hand-drive, German-market example is one of just 870 such cabriolets produced for the 1970 model year.

Wearing its original color combination of Medium Blue Metallic (DB 387H) over Parchment leather (255) with blue carpets and a matching dark blue fabric top, it was delivered new to its originating dealer, Emil Ohmen Mercedes-Benz of Duisburg, on 27 January 1970. An accompanying copy of its Mercedes-Benz build certificate indicates that the cabriolet retains its numbers-matching engine. The certificate also lists numerous touring specifications, including a floor-shift automatic transmission, 3.69:1 rear axle, power windows, insulated glass, a Becker radio with automatic antenna, rear seatbelts, and auxiliary halogen fog lamps. The car was further upgraded during previous ownership with a factory-style Behr air-conditioning system—an ideal and highly desirable improvement that makes this model eminently more enjoyable for fair-weather driving in the peak of summer.

This 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet remained in Europe for some time before arriving in the United States. Prior to entering the renowned LAPIS Collection, the car received a complete cosmetic restoration by marque specialist Jürgen Klockemann of San Jose, California.

Klockemann, well known in Mercedes-Benz circles for his expertise in both 300 SLs and the myriad W111 models, performed an exceptional bare-metal repaint in the car’s original factory-correct shade of Medium Blue Metallic. The interior was similarly reupholstered as it was when delivered new with Parchment leather. The blue square-weave carpets were substituted for parchment ones, thereby creating a more visually homogenous aesthetic to the luxurious interior. The superb wood inlays on the dash are also worthy of note, having been refinished in burled walnut, which adds a further sense of excess to an already luxury-laden driving machine. Klockemann also lavished this handsome cabriolet with a new top trimmed in dark blue fabric.

As one of the last truly handcrafted models Mercedes-Benz produced and among the most desirable luxury vehicles of the early 1970s, this 280 SE 3.5, with its enduring design and exquisite craftsmanship, will never go out of style, making it a choice acquisition for collectors seeking a sophisticated and capable luxury convertible to be enjoyed over many miles for many years to come.To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/auctions/mi25/.