280SEL 4.5, Dark Tobacco Brown/Cognac, concours winner, celebrity provenance

• Dark Tobacco Brown over Cognac interior
• 4.5 liter V8 engine
• Stunning condition
• Concours winner
• Fully mechanically sorted
• From an era when Mercedes-Benz automobiles were the finest in the world

If you were a successful person in the early 1970s, and you wanted to drive the very best automobile in the world, you bought a Mercedes-Benz. And, the very best Mercedes that you could buy in this era was the "W108/W109" model, the predecessor of what we now know as the "S-Class", the top of the range models for Mercedes. Next to the legendary 300SEL 6.3, the 280SEL 4.5 in 1972 was the highest performing and most luxurious Mercedes available, with the newly designed 4.5-liter V8 engine under the hood providing more than ample power and torque.

It is hard to imagine a more period-correct color combination than Dark Tobacco Brown over Cognac interior. The presence of this car is undeniable, and turns heads more than most exotics that I've driven. Every gas station stop brings inquiries and compliments about the car; this 45-year-old car garners as much if not more attention than it did when new. One can easily find other W108 cars for less than the asking price of this car. However, there are very few left that are in this kind of cosmetic and mechanical condition, or drive as well as this one does.

This 280SEL 4.5 is fully mechanically sorted, and I have personally driven it hundreds of miles, enjoying every one. A top-end refresh of the engine was performed a couple of years ago, new tires were installed, and I have spent quite a bit of time and money having many various mechanical issues resolved, to bring the car up to my standards. It is believed to have lived the majority of its life in California, and there is no rust. The car has an older but still excellent quality repaint, with only minor blemishes. The interior wood was replaced in the past few years, but overall the interior is in very original and excellent condition. While the odometer reads a little more than 4K miles, it has undoubtedly turned over at least once before, and the true mileage is unknown. However, given the excellent condition of the car I would guess that the actual mileage is 104K miles; for a Mercedes, this car is just getting broken-in!

The previous owner of this 280SEL 4.5 had entered it into the 2017 Keels & Wheels Concours here in the Houston area, winning a second place award in the vintage Mercedes class. He had previously purchased the car from the lead singer of the band Orleans ("Still The One" and other hits from the 1970s), a noted collector of Mercedes and W108s in particular.

I've always thought that the Mercedes-Benz models from the late 1960s and early 1970s are the best and most timeless designs from Mercedes, and the W108 is the finest of all. These cars were manufactured to a standard of excellence, not to a price point, and it shows in every aspect. Again, you can easily find a rust bucket and/or poorly maintained W108 for much cheaper than this one, but you will spend tens of thousands bringing it to the condition of this car. I look forward to speaking with you further about this very special automobile; please contact me at 832-617-0494 ormichael@mbrandonmotorcars.com.