SOLD 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet

A Most Pristine Survivor

The Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 was considered by most observers in the early 1970’s as the finest car in the world. In addition to modern amenities such as air conditioning, power windows and 4-speed automatic floor shifting, the Cabriolet version of the car allowed for top-down cruising combined with a powerful 3.5 liter V8 engine that provided effortless highway-speed cruising along with neighborhood joy-riding prowess. This combination of luxurious comfort and well established Mercedes-Benz engineering standards, in addition to high performance mechanical specifications, made the ‘3.5 Cab’ the most expensive and most desirable cruiser money could buy at the Mercedes dealership in period.

Today, the 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet is both a sought after collection piece for the Mercedes-Benz aficionado as well as the ultimate ‘modern amenity’ classic experience in power-driven luxury cruising with the top down. The 3.5 Cabriolet has long been considered a car that bridges the gap between the classic and modern eras; generally speaking, it is one of the most widely desired cars built by Mercedes-Benz since the company’s inception.

According to the original factory issued data cards retained by the car today, this incredible, all original, low-mileage 1971 3.5 Cabriolet was finished by Mercedes-Benz in 904G midnight blue paint over 255 parchment leather with a burled walnut dash and 744 blue soft top. Notably, the car was delivered new as a US market example fitted in the most desirable specification with a 4-speed floor shift automatic transmission, Behr air conditioning and power windows among other modern amenities.

This most special of preservation class 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet’s was purchased new in January of 1971 from the Mercedes-Benz dealer in Colorado Springs, Colorado by Marjorie W. O’Connell of Tucson, Arizona. After purchasing the Mercedes, Ms. O’Connell drove the car back to Arizona from Colorado Springs and kept a diary of her trip, which is still with the car today. O’Connell also drove the 3.5 to Las Vegas several times, making notes about those early trips as well. Further documenting her ownership, the car still retains its the original hand signed registration card with stamped chassis number along with the original metal data plate showing O’Connell’s name as the original owner.

In 1978, the 3.5 Cabriolet was sold to Karl Keller, a well-known Southern California collector of mint condition, low mileage original Mercedes-Benz cars. At the time the car was purchased by Keller from O’Connell it had accrued just over 16,000 miles and was documented as a car that had never so much as had its soft top down up until that point. Karl Keller’s collection also included an all original, low mileage 1937 540K Cabriolet; a 1955 300SL Gullwing, a 1962 300SL Roadster and also a 1937 540K Mercedes-Benz Special Roadster, of the long tail high door variety.

This superb original paint 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet is distinguished in many ways, notably as having been featured in the seminal 1983 book “Mercedes for the Road: The Survivors Series” by Henry Rasmussen. At the time the book was published, the car had been driven just over 16,000 miles. In 2003, the car was acquired from Keller by David Bohnett of Los Angeles, California with 16,500 miles on the odometer. In 2014, a European based collector client of Scott Grundfor Company purchased this special 3.5 Cabriolet for a world record price at the time and housed it in his collection. It has resided there for the past 8 years until recently when it was shipped to Scott Grundfor Company for preparation to sell.

Under the most recent ownership, the car was driven occasionally, though only to the tune of a few hundred miles. It was driven only on occasion as the owner rightfully understood the unusual and almost unbelievable quality of the original paint, interior and engine bay surfaces. While under the careful conservator-ship of O’Connell, Keller, Bohnett and the current owner, the car has retained an unusual freshness in its original surfaces, simply one of the best kept original cars one will ever see across all makes and marques. On the road, the car performs as one would expect from a showroom-new 3.5 Cabriolet purchased in 1971, it drives beautifully. Today, chassis 001533 registers just over 20,000 original miles and remains in a near-mint, like new factory original condition throughout; an astonishing example of Mercedes-Benz craftsmanship by any standard, and one that would be hard to find the equal of anywhere in the world regardless of mileage, history or colors.

As emphasis of its quality, when this stunning preservation Mercedes 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet has been shown in Concours d’Elegance competition, it took first in class over 3.5 Cabriolets that were fully restored. This is a testament to how well these W111 cars were built when new and how well this particular example has been taken care of since it was first delivered to M.W. O’Connell in 1971. Chassis 001533 is without doubt one of the best kept original Mercedes-Benz classics extant. This car is a floor shift model with factory installed air conditioning, power steering, power windows and power brakes. The car has all keys, books, tools, original data cards, original metal warranty plate and service history as noted in the original service booklet. It also comes with a Mercedes-Benz issued Zertifikat and has the original (unused) spare tire with the original hang tag, a further expression of the impressive originality on display with this most special W111 Mercedes.