This 1982 Mercedes-Benz 280SEL was originally ordered and sold new in the German market. Under previous ownership the car underwent federalization for the United States. Finished in Anthracite Grey Metallic (172) over a Grey Velour Fabric (938) interior, this German-ordered sedan is powered by an M110 Inline-6 and shows 108k miles on the odometer. Features on this long wheelbase sedan include European front and rear bumpers, DOT Gen 1 glass headlamps, air conditioning, manual crank windows, rear reading lamps, and an electric reclining rear bench seat. This example is being offered at no reserve by the current seller after the owner left the car at the owner's shop due to health reasons. Some records accompany the car along with the owner's manual, one key, included Carfax, and clean Virginia title.
Finished in Anthracite Grey Metallic (172) with matching gray lower cladding, this example features shorter, European style bumpers and Euro headlights both front and rear. Exterior features include DOT Gen 1 glass headlamps, chrome window trim, and a power antenna. The skyward facing panels including the hood, roof, and trunk lid show clear coat failure. Paint imperfections are noted in the photo gallery and shown in detail. Some rust is noted along one of the rockers.
This 280SEL wears 14” Bundt wheels wrapped in Westlake Radial tires measuring 195/70 with original painted center caps installed.
The cabin is trimmed in Grey Velour Fabric (938) across the seats, door cards, head rests, armrest, and center console. The steering wheel and shift knob are finished in matching Black vinyl. Grey carpets and floor mats remain with the car and can be seen in the gallery below. Original Zebrano veneer is shown with some cracks and fading the gallery. Wear across the cabin can be seen in the gallery below. Features include manual crank windows, air conditioning, a period head unit, an electric reclining rear bench seat, and manually adjustable front seats.
The black steering wheel frames a 160mph speedometer and a 7k-rpm tachometer featuring an analog clock, along with gauges for coolant temperature, fuel level, and oil pressure. The six-digit odometer shows 108k miles with true mileage unknown (TMU) noted.
The 2.8-liter M110 inline-six was factory rated at 182 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque when new. It’s paired to a 722.3 four-speed automatic transmission. The seller can account for recent services including XXX along with previous records showing XXX.
This example is being offered at no reserve by the current seller after the owner left the car at the owner's shop due to health reasons. Some records accompany the car along with the owners manual, one key, included Carfax, and clean Virginia title.
Open Transit:
Enclosed Transit:
The winning bidder will receive an email with the quote and option to proceed with shipping.
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16 Comments
The least costly Mercedes I’ve seen sold on a premier online auction! Probably won’t be the cheapest to own, but the winner obviously knows what he got! Congratulations
$1,000 bid placed by @dieselweasle
$950 bid placed by @MBanc
$900 bid placed by @Greygoose
$850 bid placed by @dieselweasle
$800 bid placed by @LPS2
$750 bid placed by @Greygoose
$700 bid placed by @dieselweasle
@JasonGilmore it's located in Richmond, VA
@JasonGilmore it's located in Richmond, VA
Where in Virginia is the car locate? Interested if it’s not to far to get towed.
$650 bid placed by @Emmanueld
$600 bid placed by @Lorenzothomas
$550 bid placed by @Whester
$500 bid placed by @Matt1946
You know how you want to save every stray you see? So much potential here
@oilman it has cracks and isn't perfect.
What does the dash look like under the dash cap?
@KipF You're very welcome. I'm not usually wild about the W126 chassis as I am the older models but I must admit that this is the only time I've ever seen this spec and so it is very interesting to me. This spec and option list is very cool to me. Definitely one of the more "simple" W126s I've seen.
@StoneBelvin Thank you for the quick reply! No other questions I can think of. I'm a huge fan of the W126 cars. This is a rare one for the US.
@oilman It has been sitting for about 2 years now and we have turned the engine over to make sure that it is free. We haven't made any other attempts at making it run since then. Of course, it was "running when parked" but it has not been run recently. The brakes do have pressure and are not dragging.
Does the car run/move? Any chance of a driving video? How long has it been sitting unused?
@KipF I believe this was a typo as you're correct. These are the federalized DOT 1st Generation W126 headlights. I will have that corrected. I have not made an attempt at operating the back seat or any of the other components on the car. I was told that they were in working order before it sat but that is all I know. Were there any other questions I can answer for you?
Listing copy states "European glass headlamps". Present are U.S. DOT headlamps. Are there Euro headlamps that are included in the sale? Is the rear reclining bench functional?
@oilman Yes the trunk lid was swapped by the previous owner, at some point. However, we have installed an OEM NOS 280SEL badge since then and there should be a few photos that show this on there. I'm glad you pointed this out as I didn't want there to be any confusion.
Pic 26 shows outline of 380SEL badge so is this trunk lid from another car..?
$250 bid placed by @oilman
Just wanted to come on here and say welcome to all of the viewers and bidders! We are sad to let this car go from the collection but we simply didn't have the extra time to put into it and would like to offer the opportunity for another enthusiast to put it back on the road! She is a very solid example of this rare spec and I believe it has a lot of potential! I am here to answer any questions or messages y'all may have. Thanks! -Stone