Oftentimes, in the Mercedes-Benz lineup, the big-body coupe is the car that sits atop the family food chain, along with the long wheelbase models. These coupes often featured pillar-less designs that make for a striking profile and were the transportation of choice for the rich and famous. However, even all that prestige can’t save a car if it’s neglected, and these W111 coupes are often found in a sorry state when the first rounds of owners move on. This 1966 Mercedes-Benz 250 SE here on craigslist is a collectible item for sure, but this one has seen better days.

The seller is asking $11,450 for this once-pretty Mercedes, and thanks goes to Barn Finds reader Zappenduster for the find. Right away, your eyes are drawn to the lack of a B-pillar when viewing this 250SE down the sides, and this is perhaps its very best feature. The back glass is also quite fetching, along with the body line that goes down the sides of the car. Even with poor paint and spots of surface rust, this once-grand coupe is still beautiful (to me, at least) and you can clearly see the lineage that was passed down to the W126 and W140 coupes. The seller notes this car was originally Manilla White but no word on whether this is original paint we’re looking at.

The interior has been changed for sure as it was brown when it left the factory, which makes far more sense than this slightly gaudy shade of blue. Now, I’m a fan of dark blue leather for sure, but this just seems a bit too loud. It’s always interesting to me to see where owners began cheaping out, and the patchwork on the driver’s seat bolster that doesn’t even match the non-original leather color is a tell-tale sign. Although Mercedes have a reputation for hard-wearing interiors, this one has clearly seen better days and it will need a total restoration if you want it to look like new once again.

One of the more encouraging aspects of restoring an old Mercedes is how many cars are still available as parts rigs. As a variety of Mercedes products from the 80s and 90s now litter my driveway, I’m often encouraged by how frequently I can find good, used parts of components that went NLA decades ago. Despite this, you’ll find that coupes were produced in far lower quantities than the sedan it shared its model namesake with, and anything coupe-specific on this car may take some time to find. The inline-six powerplant, however, should prove fairly basic to revive, and likely doesn’t need all that much love to fire up again. Would you rescue this W111 coupe if time and money permitted?