Get the facts: ’71 Mercedes-Benz 280SL California

For some strange reason, Mercedes-Benz thought that because the weather in California is so nice, it wouldn’t need a soft top. It would need a top perhaps in the winter, so a hardtop was included. So either you left home in only your underwear or you went out with a topcoat. These California SLs are scarce and they are a little more difficult to sell. But when you think you may have found an original low mileage SL in Silver, you take a closer look. Particularly when the place you find it is on Craigslist. Craigslist has become increasingly unreliable for us and consequently for you. It is filled with unbelievable hyperbole and every car is perfect, classic, a head turner (our favorite) or mint. Most, if not all, are untrue to some degree. Getting back to this original Mercedes, we asked one our readers who is an expert in SLs to give the seller a call. This is what he learned and therefore deduced: He thinks it is original paint – It is not. Needs paint though (cracked repair is falling off the right rear fender – factory paint does not do that). Has rust in the wheel lips (odd for a California car so possibly caused by poor collision repair.) Likely not actual miles but I have nothing objective to disprove that. Hole in trunk floor….Could be made into a car but…..How deep does the rust go.. & California coupe makes for a tough sell anyway. He says he is a “collector” and has had it only a short time and not even reg’d in his name – read between the lines that he is a “flipper”.

It does have notches!

I asked Brian if I could post his remarks as a tool for our readers. Brian asked all of the right questions and digested the information into a theory about the car. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider the car, but you need to know what it will take to make it right before you make an offer. The asking price is $43,500. Click here for the listing.