Bearing clues that it originated in an overseas market before being shipped stateside, this 1966 Mercedes-Benz 250SE is claimed to be a long-stored example that the seller knows very little about. It also is listed with “make offer” as the price, so tread carefully as it relates to expecting to find a bargain here. Still, the car as seen here on craigslist looks worthy of restoration and offers slightly more power than the base model 250S.
Mercedes’ W109 cars have always had great proportions and offered impressive road manners for the era. Even today they’re enjoyable to pilot down your local four-lane roads, with decent power and enough gusto to keep up with modern traffic. This example is claimed to have been in storage for the last two decades and has the classy glass European-market headlights (one of them smashed, unfortunately) and stickers indicating a prior registration overseas.
The red vinyl interior is in impressive condition for such long-term storage, and the dash appears uncracked. Door panels are also quite presentable, but it’s hard to gauge the condition of the carpets and wood veneer on the dash. The original Blaupunkt is still present and overall, we get the feeling there were plans to restore this grand old Mercedes before life got in the way. Also note the windshield stickers, which may be further signs of foreign registration or inspections.
The seller claims “lack of storage” forces sale, and it’s odd to see the Mercedes sitting on a trailer with no tow rig attached. It appears you’ll get at least one hubcap with the sale, but the others are easily found on eBay. If the seller is truly looking to move this project along at a good price, it looks completely deserving of restoration. But if the “make offer” urgency is simply a fishing expedition, expect this 250SE to still be on the trailer a month from now.
A good detailing alone would make it look 10x more valuable. Depending on his price you could spend a weekend cleaning it and flip it again.
Grew up riding around in my uncles 66. It drove so nice and felt so solid it wasn’t utill I was in high school did I realize it was a mid 60s car. These are well built!
Hard to call it a “gray market” car – in 1966 very few restrictions were imposed on what could be legally imported and there was virtually no demand for European models anyway. That all changed in 1968. The Mercedes at hand is nearly identical, apart from headlights and metric gauges from the officially imported cars. Yes, that’s me you hear yawning . . .
W109s are LWB 300 SELs with air suspension. This is a W108.
I see 3 petals but no gear shift lever did benz do an “on the tree” like american companies did?
Yes they did….
Greetings All,
Would be interested in the option list as this looks like MB Tex upholstery not leather, which……..would mean it was likely a “plain Jane” base model.
Absence of sunroof, AC, luggage nets for the passengers, tranny hump shelf, no automatic, not clear whether it even has power steering, no power windows….pretty sure a base model.
The snorkel not connecting the intake to air cleaner bothers me.
If closer, I would probably bid on it, but I tend to go for 300SE’s.
Those headlights are nice, but expensive, they don’t give away the tail lights either, one appears broken.
Cool car. Good colors. Ad gives me the impression they just stole it out of their granny’s garage and need some dope money.
Spare mounted on front end is cool …
I think the radio should be a Becker, nee Blaupunkt.
The F on the back suggests that it comes from France.