Droptop Flagship: ’67 Mercedes-Benz 300SE Cabriolet
The W112 Coupe and the Cabriolet or 300SE were the pinnacle of Mercedes-Benz luxury of the period. It was mechanically sophisticated with the M189 Big-Block inline-6 and a score of luxury features like a supple air suspension. The interior was graced with leather and a choice of woods and the dash was treated to sporty round gauges instead of the plebian vertical thermometer in the Fintail sedan. These 300SEs were about $10,000 more than their stablemate the 250SE. Quite by coincidence, we featured a nice 300SE Coupe ealier this week. Then this Cabriolet popped into our mailbox to complete our tribute to the 300SE. Today’s featured Cabriolet is in an interesting color combination. Not the most dramatic but certainly elegant. The seller, a dealer in Southampton, New York, doesn’t tell us much other than it has had a 20 year ownership and good service history. Cosmetically, it appears to be in good shape. Attempting to restore one of these is a daunting task. They do stipulate that the transmission slips and that will require some attention. The good news is getting out of the car isn’t too difficult and servicing it shouldn’t be a calamity. These transmissions are not known for their smoothness. When we tried to put a value on the Coupe earlier this week, we thought it might be worth about 50% of what a Cabriolet would be worth. We put that figure at $70,000. That is the number the dealer has put on this one. Considering the transmission issues and the potential for other issues, we think that is a little rich. A PPI would reveal all. Mind you, if this was a 3-5 V8 it could be approaching $150,000 maybe more. Click here for the eBay Auction.