This handsome 1964 Mercedes-Benz 220SE coupe is an unrestored example featuring a factory sunroof and extensive documentation. The seller has a fairly full picture of its ownership history, with much of its time spent in the care of a South Carolina doctor. It was originally purchased in California and maintained at a local Mercedes specialist before being parked around 2005 in a storage unit. The good doctor seemingly passed away and the seller purchased the W111 out of the owner’s estate, and it’s now listed here on eBay with bidding approaching $20,000 and no reserve.
This is such a timeless design, with the subtle fins running alongside the massive trunk lid. The Mercedes features lots of nice details, especially in this form before the company was forced to adopt the park bench-style bumpers in the name of safety. The Mercedes looks handsome in its battleship gray paint which looks a little too clean to be original, especially for a vehicle that spent many years in storage. The chrome bumpers present quite well, owing to being re-chromed in 2012, and the glass is crystal clear. The low mileage of just 54,000 could explain the clean condition of the paintwork, as no mention is made of a respray.
The seller notes the Mercedes runs and idles well, and benefits from several smart repairs and service items that should always be addressed on a car that’s spent some time in storage. This work includes a rebuilt fuel pump, new spark plug wires, new brake lines and rebuilt calipers, gas tank professionally cleaned and resealed, radiator flush, and new tires. I believe the 220SE came with the M127 six-cylinder engine, which produced a respectable 120 b.h.p. and was equipped with Bosch mechanical fuel injection. While far from the most powerful Mercedes you could buy, it was still a silky smooth highway operator.
The seller notes the interior is an area that could use some attention, but it’s hardly a cause for alarm. The wood trim was previously restored, and the air conditioning was apparently gone through before being parked. It’s not been converted to R134A and doesn’t blow cold, but I suppose the speculation is it could come back to life with a recharge. The leather seats aren’t perfect, but like everything else on this car, it’s better than you’d expect for a model that was in storage for many years. The seller has performed some smart maintenance to put the next owner’s mind at ease, and get some of the smaller jobs the next owner would likely do out of the way. This is a gorgeous car, and I doubt bidding will stay this low for long.
$19,099 with less than 2 days left.
Another one of those deals where the air conditioner “…just needs a recharging.” We all heard that story before.
So true. I took my old ’76 XJ12 in for a recharge. Picked it up 4 months and $5,000 later.
A refrigeration system is a sealed, pressurized vapor unit. If it is missing the vapor [R-12, or “Freon”] it needs repair. Just charging it up without the needed repair is a violation of Federal law as well. And since the price of R-12 is approaching $100 per pound in a 30 pound can, it’s stupid to charge it up without fixing it.
Also, I’ve worked on plenty of these cars. While the seller says the car was a California car, it’s important to put this car up on a lift and check the underbody and chassis members for tin worm rot. These cars were proficient in creating ferrous oxide, and should be carefully inspected, as repairs are terribly expensive.
These are beautiful cars. Beautifully made as well. The exterior has definitely been restored at one time but it still needs new window seals. What bothers me is that there are no direct interior pictures. This is where you end up spending a lot of money on these cars to get it right but when they are right they are simply stunning. 20k seems like a fair price if the undersides and mechanicals check out. The A/C would be the least of my worries if it blows cold.
I owned a 1962 220SEb- smoothest riding car ever on the highway….
I owned a 64 220seb coupe. One of the most beautiful cars ever built. Watch out for rust!
Sure is nice, color a bit bland, but without question, the best car in the world in the 60’s. Too bad there was still a strong anti-German attitude( like my old man) then and driving a M-B was like you were some sort of bad person. Very, VERY few in ol’ Beer City. The guy’s single uncle across the alley had a 220, 4 door, we never talked about it. America sure missed out on some nice cars.
Same thing could be said about Japanese cars. However, my dad had vivid memories of Mitsubishi bomber attacks on Guadalcanal in’42, but this didn’t deter him from buying one of the first Toyota Land Cruisers in ’64.