Mercedes-Benz 280 SE from 1971

Although I could have bought a car many years ago, I could never decide which model it should be. Certainly not a modern one. The plan was to start with a Jaguar XJ 4.2 but its reputation as being notoriously unreliable and extremely expensive to maintain and drive kept me back. It is said to be the most exiting way to loose your money…

A visit to the Mercedes-Benz museum in Stuttgart and the fact that a good friend of mine, Fabian, is driving an old Mercedes as well, brought me to the decision of going for a car with a star. At first, a w124 from the eighties seemed a sensible option but then the Dutch government decided to adapt the tax laws which ruled out all cars younger than 40 years, cars older than that would remain road-tax free. As I am only a recreational driver, paying thousands in taxes every year is not an option for me.

All these circumstances led to this great car, a 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280 SE with a 3.5 liter engine, bought from an enthusiast from the south of the Netherlands who lacked the time the car demanded. It may not be in perfect shape but it is certainly a good start to have an S-class as my very first car. The leather interior needs some attention and there are also some technical issues to be dealt with, I will tell more about these projects in the upcoming years. In the meantime, I’ll be driving around with a big smile on my face.

• 1971
• 280 SE
• 3.5 liter
• automatic
• classic
• leather
• mercedes-benz
• s-class
• sunroof
• w108