Lot Ended
Description
Good solid car from sunny South Africa; much recent
expenditure; driven 30 miles to the sale; a beautifully engineered saloon
that will outlive all of us!
As the Mercedes-Benz dating
certificate confirms, this Mercedes 280E was built in Germany in February 1976
as a RHD model destined for the South African market. Top of the W114 range, the
280E had a fuel-injected 2.8 straight-six twin-cam producing 185bhp which made
it good for 0-60mph in 9.9 seconds with a top speed of 124mph.
Looking most handsome in Caledonia Green with a tan leather
interior, this car spent its first 42 years in sunny South Africa, hence the
excellent state of preservation today. In February 2018, just before it got
exported to the UK, it was treated to a thorough overhaul by Golden Rule Motors
of Cape Town which cost the equivalent of £3,500. The invoice is four pages long
and included dozens of new parts: brakes; suspension; steering; cooling; gearbox
mountings; service items – you name it, they fixed it!
Our vendor acquired the car via a Barons auction in April 2018 and
got it UK registered with Historic Vehicle status so it is free to tax and
MOT-exempt. He has kept it in good order with various invoices for routine
service items. He has also fitted a retro-looking Classic DAB radio.
Although it no longer needs one, it has been MOT’d each year since
arriving here, the current ticket running until February 2024 with just a few
minor advisories for play in the suspension bushes and a slight leak on the
power steering pump. The 'handbrake on' warning light has failed to extinguish
since the last MOT so there is obviously a bad connection somewhere. The
original handbook and service book are present, along with a period sales
brochure and paint code chart, a spare key and a Haynes workshop manual.
Driven 30 miles to the sale, it has been starting instantly and
running well as we have moved it around on site, with excellent oil
pressure and that ‘hewn from granite’ quality that is the hallmark of Mercedes
cars from this era.
For more information
contact James on 07970 309907 or email james.dennison@brightwells.com