Story and History

1967 Mercedes Benz 280SE 3.5 Coupe - ex Mercedes Stuttgart

We are very pleased to have this superb Coupe available again

She was originally used by Mercedes Benz Stuttgart themselves and sold to her first private owner directly by them in January 1971 - a Mr O E Gowers

All paperwork for her sale is included in the history file, Original Bill of Sale too - 24.500 Deutsch Marks together with correspondence from HM Customs & Excise - duty payable was £1.571 the equivalent of a good new car then - and the Shipping Agents used to import & register the vehicle.

Mr Gowers must have been a very particular man for there is even the receipt from his overnight accommodation - The Steinberger Hotel Graf Zeppelin no less

During his long tenure he kept meticulous records, the Service Booklet has stamps through to 1986 and there are invoices thereafter to continue the Official Mercedes Benz History until 1998 when first it went to a specialist - Kevin O'Keefe Esq, one the best there is here in the UK

There is also an almost complete run of MoT certificates from 1976 too

This example drives superbly well and it is obvious how well maintained Mr Gowers kept this Coupe

Mr Gowers sold the car in the early part of this millenium when we purchased the car from Silver Arrows for a customer of ours

In need of sympathetic restoration we stripped her to bare metal and repainted her in her original colour, Blau 903 - a most pretty colour and well suited to the lovely lines of this design

All chrome work was stripped and replated, save for the chrome side drop window tops and new rubbers and seals fitted all round

We recarpeted inside and retrimmed small areas as required, careful to use old hides of similar texture and colour

A full service and engine bay detailing followed and a new set of tyres were also fitted

The Becker Old Timer radio / cd / satnav / i.pod was also fitted together with a new set of speakers (sound quality of Bayreuth Festival!!)and seat belts to all seats

Finally her Factory Fitted air conditioning was serviced and converted to CFC Free gases

We subsequently took over ownership again and enjoyed using her ourselves for a year or so

A further full service was undertaken and the opportunity during our tenure was also taken to replace all shock absorbers, suspension bushes and sub frame mountings, whilst mechanically we replaced her head gaskets and fitted a complete set of tappets as the heads were off

We then sold her to another collector who, living abroad kept her in suitable storage conditions, ran her for various trips to the Continent

John Haynes was entrusted after 10.000 miles over three or so years to go through the running gear where upon rear suspension was overhauled, head gaskets replaced and a thorough going over ensured she was in tip top mechanical shape and as good as always

We then sold her, off line so to speak, to one of our other collectors who has used her little in the 12 months of his tenure, hence again, and pleasingly, we have the opportunity to offer this fine and most important (the earliest example in RHD) for sale again