This 1968 Mercedes-Benz 250SE Cabriolet is one of 954 examples built between 1965 and 1967. This example is finished in Medium Blue (350) over Natural Brown hides and has a matching blue soft top. It was purchased by the selling dealer in May of 2015 out of Los Angeles, California where it was sold new and driven regularly. The car was subsequently transported to Georgia with the current owner and selling dealer. In November of 2016 this W111 was shipped to the selling dealer's sister company and showroom outside Frankfurt, Germany for repaint and refurbishment including a new Blue soft top, new leather, and new carpets. Otherwise, the car remains largely original and preserved. Power comes from a 2.5L M129 inline-six paired with a 4-speed automatic transmission, and maintenance performed under current ownership includes fresh suspension components, new tires, a complete fluid flush, refreshed rear passenger brake caliper, and a new lined and coated fuel tank. This 250SE Cabriolet currently shows 53,226 miles on the odometer and is offered with partial German restoration receipts, manufacturer’s literature, an original tool kit, and an original spare tire.
A repaint of the original Medium Blue (350) was performed in 2016 by The Garage in Bodenheim, Germany. The body shows no signs of damage or corrosion. Original rear bumpers showing some dings were maintained and kept with the car after the repaint. All the brightwork retains an excellent finish and is not showing signs of dulling or pitting on any surfaces and all glass remains original. The stacked front head lights and chrome bezels show in excellent condition as do the torpedo style blinkers. This Cabriolet retains the original style aluminum wiper blades for the front windshield and the original Hirschmann antenna. All four power windows operate from the master switch on the driver door and the bright work surrounding the exterior glass shows no damage. A detailed exterior walk around video has been included in the listing.
The original 14" wheels in matching Medium Blue (350) are retained with this example including original beauty rings and Medium Blue hub caps with the original paint. The seller added new Michelin Defender tires measuring 195/70 on all four corners. The rear passenger brake caliper has recently been serviced. Four wheel disc brakes adorn each corner of the car and the seller states good brake pedal feel in the driving video.
The cabin was reupholstered in Natural Brown Leather while in Germany and new matching carpets were added to the cabin and trunk in conjunction with the 2016 refurbishment. The wood veneers remain original and well kept with a few cracks visible along various panels and the upper dashboard strip. This example has retained an original and functional Becker Grand Prix stereo. Additional amenities include power windows, operational air conditioning, and a rare crack-free ivory steering wheel with matching Natural Brown center pad. There are several small splits on the cowl over the instrument cluster. An interior tour video has been included in the listing.
The ivory steering wheel frames the original gauge cluster featuring two analog gauges for speed in miles per hour and a tachometer. Centered in between is a vertical analog display with readouts for fuel level, engine temperature, and oil pressure. The analog odometer reads 53,226 miles.
The 2.5L M129 inline-six was rated at 150 horsepower and 159 foot-pounds of torque when new and is paired with a column-shifted four-speed automatic transmission. The gear selector gauge does not show what gear the car is in when utilizing the column shift and the blinker stalk reportedly won’t stay locked in place on occasion. Otherwise, all components and gauges are reportedly working as they should and recent maintenance includes fresh suspension components, new tires, a complete fluid flush, and a new lined and coated fuel tank. A driving video has been included in the listing.
This 1968 250SE Cabriolet is offered with partial restoration receipts, manufacturer's literature, an original tool kit, and an original spare tire. Additional videos are included in the listing below along with photographs of the underbody.
The seller has included the following videos:
The grace and elegance of the W111 cabriolet is only becoming more prolific as time goes by. As the Heckflosse rear ends of the late ‘50s and early ‘60s cars became a styling cue of the past, the W111s still retained a more restrained fin on the rear end of the cars. Paul Bracq, afterall, was still in charge but was also evolving with the times. These cars, no matter the engine, will get you a front and center spot anywhere in the United States at any valet parking no matter how high class the establishment. This blue on tan example is stellar to look at at any angle. The new paintwork appears to be excellent as does the craftsmanship of the interior redo in Germany. The M129 engine is also a sweetheart and largely reliable. With a top speed of 117-mph, this car will keep up with modern traffic with no issue while looking like a Hollywood A-Lister from decades past.
Open Transit:
Enclosed Transit:
The winning bidder will receive an email with the quote and option to proceed with shipping.
Get the best of The MB Market directly in your inbox every day. Subscribe for a curated list of our top market listings and articles!
1 Comments
$10,000 bid placed by @ctilley777
Hey everyone! Welcome to the auction of this lovely W111 cabriolet. I'm helping sell this for a good friend and fellow Mercedes-Benz collector just north of Atlanta, Georgia. You'll be seeing a lot of their cars on my profile in the coming months as I help them sell their collection and consolidate into just a few really special cars. This is a really nice W111. Please sift through the gallery I put together and watch the video I made as well. You'll find most of your answers there, but feel free to PM me or comment here if I missed anything or need clarification on anything. The writeup mentions all of the flaws and I pointed them out in the photos/video There's not a lot! This is a really competent vehicle that has good bones, excellent interior, no rust, and good wood.$7,251 bid placed by @Lfuselier
$2,000 bid placed by @Agschmidt