The external paintwork is complemented with a parchment interior, a timeless and elegant color combination, a classic balance.

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The exterior is further enhanced by a convertible soft top, giving you the option to enjoy open-air driving or a more refined coupe-like experience when desired.

Equipped with a highly desirable floor-shift automatic, a 2.8-liter M130 inline-six, AC, Bosch mechanical fuel injection, power-assisted disc brakes, twin exhaust, a convertible soft top, chrome trim/bumpers, Michelin tires, 14-inch steel wheels with color-matched Medium Blue hubcaps with chrome Mercedes-Benz stars, a jack, and a full-size spare tire fitted in the trunk.

Convenience features include low-back bucket seats with curved headrests, power windows, driver-side rearview mirrors, a 2-spoke steering wheel with a chrome horn ring, a Blaupunkt radio, an analog clock, door pockets, and a glove compartment. The dashboard is fitted with VDO instrumentation, including a 140-mph speedometer, offering a period-correct driving experience.

Our 280 SE comes with $44,480.90 in documented receipt copies from 2022 through 2025. This work began in July 2022 with extensive repairs on the interior floors, trunk, and rear quarter pockets ($10,111), followed by a complete interior and top overhaul with new tan hides, carpets, and a full roof package ($19,830).

In June 2023, the car received a complete exterior refinish, including block sanding and a full repaint of the body, door jambs, and undersides ($13,000). Most recently, in January 2025, this classic vehicle was brought up to date with mechanical and electrical work, including a new battery, hazard switch, and light diagnostics ($1,538), ensuring proper operation of key systems.

As I said, the 280 SE Cabriolet is among the last hand-assembled Mercedes-Benz convertibles of its era, built in limited production numbers with a high level of craftsmanship. These cars were significantly more expensive than their sedan counterparts when new, and today they remain sought-after for their combination of durability, engineering, and classic styling.

Whether you’re a collector looking to add a well-documented example to your collection or an enthusiast seeking a classic convertible with factory specifications and recent servicing, this 280 SE Cabriolet offers a balanced ownership experience with documented history and thoughtful upkeep, and is mechanically sound.

Mercedes-Benz has come a long way since, in 1886, an engineer by the name of Karl Benz used his wife’s dowry to build what is considered the world’s first automobile, the Benz Patent Motorwagen. Essentially a motorized stagecoach, the vehicle was a three-wheeled machine powered by a gas engine.

Another inventor, Gottlieb Daimler, made the first four-wheeled automobile in the same year.

Fast-forward nearly two decades, and Daimler’s sales partner helped develop a competitive car meant for racing, naming it after his daughter, Mercedes.

Both Mercedes and Benz marketed high-performance luxury cars throughout the early 1900s, but the German economic turmoil of the 1920s brought hardships. These conditions led the two manufacturers to creative problem-solving, and a collaboration was born.

Mercedes-Benz was officially founded in 1926 in Stuttgart, Germany, and the headquarters remain there today. They sell approximately 2.5 million cars annually and have become the world’s leading producer of premium vehicles. They are owned by the parent company Daimler Truck, a brand that also produces commercial trucks, buses, and other vehicles.

In the early 1950s Mercedes emerged from World War II as an automaker with the expensive and exclusive Adenauers 300 S grand tourers that gained the marque fame, but it was the simple unibody Pontons which comprised the bulk of the company’s revenues. Work on replacing the Pontons began in 1956 with a design focused on comfort and safety.

The basic Ponton cabin was widened and squared off, with a large glass greenhouse improving driver visibility. A milestone in car design were front and rear crumple zones for absorbing kinetic energy on impact. The automaker also patented retractable seatbelts.

Of course, during this time Mercedes-Benz produced some legendary automobiles, among them the 300 SL Gullwings and the Pagodas.

And such creative evolution continued into the 1960s. In November 1967, the Mercedes-Benz 250 SE was superseded by the 280 SE. This new model was powered by the new electrically fuel-injected 2.8 LM130 engine, which produced 160 hp (119 kW) at 5500 rpm. Top speed was hardly affected, but acceleration from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) improved to 10.5 seconds (13 with automatic transmission). Inside, the car received a wood veneer option on the dashboard and other minor changes, including door-lock buttons and different heater levers. The hubcaps were changed yet again to a new one piece wheelcover, and the exterior mirror was changed.

Despite its smaller engine, the 280 SE could outperform the larger, heavier M189-powered 300 SE, resulting in the engine’s retirement in the more expensive model.

And the consequence of this is what we have now at Beverly Hills Car Club, our majestic, eternal 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280 SE Cabriolet, an ageless piece of motorized art.

-Alex Manos, Owner