A jewel-like piece of Mercedes-Benz history is for sale at Mecum this August, as a comprehensively restored 1971 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet crosses the block in Monterey as part of the Milton Verret Collection. Finished by BRABUS in Germany and showing just five miles since the restoration’s completion, it presents essentially as new.
Introduced in 1969, the W111-generation 280 SE 3.5 sat at the top of Mercedes-Benz’s “New Generation” lineup, marrying Paul Bracq’s timeless styling with the marque’s first V-8-powered cabriolet body style. Just 1,232 examples of the 3.5 Cabriolet were built across the 1970 and 1971 model years, making the car now listed at Mecum one of the rarest hand-built Mercedes-Benz models of its era.
This particular car wears Code 576 Red over Parchment leather with burl wood trim, and its restoration was entrusted to BRABUS, the legendary Bottrop, Germany tuning house founded in 1977. Under the hood, the smooth 3.5-liter V-8 sends 200 horsepower through a four-speed automatic, while period-correct touches like a Becker Mexico radio and Behr air conditioning round out an experience detailed further in the Mecum auction listing.
For collectors seeking a nearly time-capsule example of one of Mercedes-Benz’s last truly hand-built models, complete details and bidding registration are available through Mecum’s website.
John Lloyd 
Elizabeth Puckett