1972 Mercedes-Benz 280E V8 – today’s budget tempter

By: Guy Allen, Unique Cars magazine

Date: 14.12.2016

Luxo V8 for under $10k

Mercedes-Benz 280E W108 series

Ever driven an early 70s Benz? They can be special and this one claims to have been with the same owner for the last 20 years.

Our experience with this generation is they're very capable, supremely comfortable and quicker on a long trip than most people give them credit for. A poor one can swallow money, but a sorted car will be surprisingly cheap to maintain and feels as solid as a rock on the road.

The ad says it's had a bare-metal respray at some stage, while it's running a 3.5 litre V8 with auto.

If it's in decent shape, this could turn out to be a lot of car for the money, located in Canberra.

The year date mentioned by the owner indicates it is one of the late W108 series, a platform that saw M-B develop bigger volumes. They rode lower and handled better than their W111 predecessors and, in the early years of the series, were sold alongside it.

The vertically-stacked twin headlights were a styling calling card at the time, particularly alongside the big chromed grille and two-deck bumper bars.

It may not be one of the absolute styling icons of its time, but the front in particular has a lovely retro look.

Assuming it shapes up on inspection, this could be a lot of car for the money.

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