Why You Should Invest in a Mercedes-Benz 280 SE Coupe From 1969-71 - Bloomberg
Rock-solid, comfortable, commodious, and packed with the latest engineering technologies and luxury options, these big, closed-bodied, two-door cars offered a sportier and more elegant alternative to the big four-doors. With its perfect proportions and clean, rounded lines, the coupe pictured here—initially introduced in 1961 and known by the Mercedes designation W11—casually exudes understated, old-world, old-money poise. According to Mike Kunz, the director of the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center —a Southern California subsidiary of MBUSA that supports, restores, and sells the brand’s most notable vintage vehicles—these cars possess “an understated, regal elegance. The W11 was designed by Paul Bracq, the masterful—and French—head of design for Mercedes-Benz during the ’60s and ’70s. (Following his tenure there, Bracq went on to design his home country’s high-speed TGV train. ) Bracq updated the car in 1969, and on these later vehicles, the traditional upright Mercedes grille was squared off and lowered for a more sporting appearance, and additional luxury trim—more leather, more wood veneer—was added inside. In place of the typical inline, six-cylinder engine that had long been a Benz stalwart was a new 3. 5 liter, V8 that had up to 66 percent more power than the engines it replaced,. Source: www.bloomberg.com
