Chassis No.

111.026.10.001722



When the final W111 coupe left Sindelfingen in July 1971, it closed an unrepeatable decade of hand-built production.

The two-door models were constructed away from the main assembly lines in the plant's special-vehicles department due the high level of trim that needed to be hand fitted to each car.

With the pillarless roofline changing little since 1961, for the final cars, Mercedes-Benz redesigned the nose with a lower, wider grille and a flatter hood.

The "low grille" look made them easily distinguished from earlier W111-generation coupes.

The biggest change was found just beneath it.

The 280 SE 3.5 Coupe and Cabriolet were the first series-production two-door Mercedes-Benz models to carry a V8, the all-new M116.



The 3.5-liter V8, with a single overhead camshaft per bank and Bosch electronic fuel injection, was rated at 197 horsepower.

That was enough to take the coupe from rest to 60 mph in under 10 seconds and past 120 mph.

It also launc...