Not a lot of cars can bring out the dictator in you, but this Mercedes-Benz 280 SE Sedan is a good contender.
The flagship four-door, a predecessor to the S-Class, was introduced in 1968 with a bang and a 2.8-liter inline-six with overhead camshaft and dual carburetors.
Mated to a four-speed manual gearbox, developing 157 horsepower and allowing it to go up to a top speed of 120 miles per hour (193 km/h), the classic car benefits from a fully independent suspension, too, and to make it even better, this particular example never needed a full restoration.
It carries the original brown/copper exterior finish, body panels and gaps seem to be as good as ever, and even the doors shut as they should. Inside, it still retains all of the original gizmos, and even the engine bay is tidy and unrestored.
Grumpy collectors will notice some imperfections, but they will probably leave them aside once they find about the car’s mileage: 100,000 miles (almost 161,000 km); pretty low for a 47-year old machine, one that it should fetch between $15,000 and $20,000 during RMSothebys auction in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on October 6-7.
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