“I know what you are thinking right now,” claims the seller of this pair of vintage Mercedes sedans: “WOW WHAT A GREAT DEAL.” You know what? I kind of was thinking that! These W108-series sedans, the S-class equivalent of the late ’60s, are not usually very expensive to buy as runners (at least here in California) and this pair are not currently up to that standard, but $3,500 for a pair of solid-seeming, easily revivable cars plus a slew of valuable parts does indeed seem like a good deal. Check them out here on craigslist out of Webster, New York, or go here if the ad disappears.
Clearly this pair have been photographed in tight quarters, so it’s tough to get a true sense of their condition, but the black ’68 is said to have been parked for about ten years and the red ’67 is described as a parts car and appears to have last (?) had a state inspection over 20 years ago. A 1968 250S is an interesting car, in that it had already been superseded by the 280S in the home market, but was still offered in export markets, including the important U.S., as a half-step between the new, smaller W114 250 and the larger-engined W108 models.
The black car’s inline six does turn over, and the car was a regular driver for a period before it was parked. Trying to revive this engine may be simplified by the fact that it’s fed by dual Zenith carburetors rather than the six-plunger fuel injection system of the more powerful SE model. For most cruising situations, you’re unlikely to miss the extra 20 horsepower anyway.
Both cars have black MB-Tex vinyl interiors that, true to form, look to be a moderate cleaning away from being ready to use. Both cars have power windows and factory air. The transmission in the red parts car isn’t specified, but the black car has a column-shifted automatic, a Mercedes-designed four-speed unit.
“Both bodies are pretty solid as far as I can see,” says the seller, and of course from a distance we’ll have to take his word for it. These are famously solid cars, though, and not known for major rust problems, plus with two cars and plenty of spare sheetmetal, you shouldn’t have much problem addressing any problem areas. The various extra parts that are included are a nice bonus; you can still buy almost any part for these cars from Mercedes as well, but boy, will it cost you.
So I say there’s a lot to work with here, and a lot to like, for a reasonable sum, but I can’t read your minds; what do you think? Is this pair of big Benzes calling out to you for revival?
located near rochester, ny on the south side of lake ontario – the snow belt for sure. this may explain why the cars are inside there is still a ton of snow and cold there right now.
a brother-in-laws mb collection for sale. hmmmmm. no mention of titles or bill of sales. i would call first and clarify what legalities are being offered too. last thing you want to find out is that you just purchased 2 vehicles with no titles and a pissed off b-i-l trying to find you.
Nothing is more expensive than a cheap Mercedes.
Can I give you 10 upvotes?
LOL! Former Mercedes owner here.
Except maybe a cheap Ferrari,or Porsche.
If over the years these Webster cars were daily drivers there, salt corrosion will be a big factor. And the Rochester area was also known for the winter pot holes that beat up the suspensions. A very careful PPI is called for here. $3500 may be just the tip of the financial iceberg here. Good luck.
I drove/rode in one of these with my buddy in 1999 from Cincinnati OH to Orlando FL. Great trip, great car, great road trip with a buddy.
Larry has paperwork for both cars. No issues there.
He had a company van for work every day. The black car was his summer car for evenings and weekends. The red car was never registered in New York.
No back story on these cars.
This 250 series was not in production for long maybe 2-3 years. In the mid 60’s MB needed a new series of sedan which also meant it needed a larger and more powerful 6 cylinder to replace both the 220/230 engines and the old 300 SE engine; both of which were outdated and had reached the end of their development cycles. The 250 engine was the result and is a step forward in that it was very smooth due to the 7 main bearing block and crankshaft even with more horsepower. It was the last of the MB pre-pollution control gas engines; shortly thereafter, pollution control devices became mandatory and resulted in loss of power. MB addressed the issues by increasing the stroke on the 250 engine resulting in the 280 series. Even though parts will be expensive, one of these all cleaned up, with every system running the way it should, would make a great enthusiast’s car. There is still a lot left in the black one. The chassis for these had updated brakes and a new design suspension. Wish I had the space, time and wallet.
I have always liked this era of Mercedes sedan. I’d be interested if I had the space….. Also, I only see one car in the pictures. I do see lots of “red” parts, but no actual car. I imagine there is one, but a few pictures would be helpful, as the entire pile will need to be transported.