On its own, a W114 Mercedes-Benz sedan isn’t that remarkable. But like any car, when you find one that remains highly original and undisturbed, it becomes immensely appealing. This 1969 Mercedes 250 sedan has under 50,000 original miles and appears to be a genuine California survivor. The seller confirms it has original paint and body panels, and this being a gasoline model means that while it’s not fast, it should still be a respectable highway cruiser (no offense to the diesel lovers in the room). The Mercedes is listed here on eBay for $12,000 with the option to submit a best offer.

I once spotted a nicely preserved example of this same car in a local salvage yard. It broke my heart because there was no reason for it to be here, and the story was  that it was dropped off as part of an estate clean-out. It was an earlier model like this car, which you can identify by looking at the taillights. The later cars have “ribbed” lenses; the earlier ones are smooth. I took the taillights and a few other small bits so other W114 owners could at least benefit from the remains of a once-great car. Values are traditionally quite low, and I doubt they’ll ever rise significantly for this era of Mercedes’ entry-level model. That alone is likely the leading cause of these smooth sedans ending up neglected or junked.

Fortunately, someone realized this example is in excellent condition for an unrestored car. Plus, you don’t see black interiors all that often, which makes this 250 even more of a standout. The seller doesn’t provide us with any details as to its history, but it looks like it has the zip-tied key holder around the steering wheel which is a tell-tale sign of this Benz having been in a salvage yard auction at some point. If cars to go a Copart or Manheim lot, the keys almost always get looped around the steering wheel like this. Given there’s no damage, it’s even more likely this was a donation car or an example that was otherwise dropped off for scrap money despite being a well-preserved survivor.

The seller reports that the Mercedes starts up easily and that “…all mechanical systems work.” That’s not a huge vote of confidence in terms of what you’d want to have for details when going into vintage European sedan ownership. Hoses, belts, fluids, cooling system – those will all likely need servicing assuming this Mercedes hasn’t been used for daily use in some time. The good news is the original paint and panels definitely add to the value proposition, and the lack of rust and running/driving condition make it a smart buy – but perhaps for a few grand less than the current asking price.