This lovely, mostly original, 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SL we have for sale has been under the same ownership for 35 years. It left the factory in 460 Dark Red Brown (Dunkelrotbraun) with a Parchment interior and Tan Soft Top.
She sold new at Mercedes-Benz of Hollywood in 1970 remaining in Los Angeles before moving to the Marin County, San Francisco area in 1982. It includes the original owner's manual, top wrench, spare and jack, toolkit, and the original Becker Grand Prix Stereo Radio (included, not installed) and currently shows 83,585 miles which appear to be actual.
The correctly prefixed (130-983) 2778cc 169.5 cubic inch engine starts, idles, and runs beautifully with plenty of power. The suspension, braking, and steering all function wonderfully as well, and the shifting is spot on with its rebuilt transmission. The motor is smooth and quiet with no smoke or issues. This is a very nice driving W113 on the highway and around town.
The current long-term owner recently had the car stripped to the metal and repainted in its original color. Funny story on the color, when he bought the car for his wife 35 years ago she wanted a blue car so he had it repainted blue. When they showed up to pick up the car from the paint shop she disliked the blue and had them paint it red.
Recently with values on the rise and with respect for its originality, they had it properly restored to its original Dark Red Brown (Dunkelrotbraun). The paint is stunning and the body is smooth as glass. The car had no rust to begin with and the body was already in very good condition.
The bright work, trim, and lenses all look very nice. It wears its original tan cloth top from the factory which was stowed away for years while the hardtop has been on the car. The all-important divots are present on the inner-headlamp areas and the fender spot welds are also present.
The interior is mostly original and well preserved after 52 years. The rugs are showing some fading though the floor rugs were replaced. The originals could be dyed. The Parchment seating is in good condition though new seat foam would be an improvement.
All systems in the car are working properly including the clock, gauges, lighting, and heating. It has new temperature control knobs. The air conditioning turns on and blows though should be recharged. Overall the interior looks nice and is tidy.
For a collector who values originality and desires a fantastic-looking W113 with fresh, beautiful paint and finish this is the ideal candidate. Especially for one seeking a more unusual, less seen color.
426 Power Steering and Automatic Transmission with Floor Shift
491 US Version
503 Left Outside Mirror
513 Becker Europa Radio
460 Dark Red Brown (Dunkelrotbraun)
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