1977 Mercedes-Benz 280SE (w116)
AT A GLANCE
ENGINE: 2.7L DOHC fuel injected Mercedes-Benz inline 6-cylinder petrol
TRANSMISSION: Four speed automatic
MILEAGE: 29.080 km (18,029 miles) indicated. T.M.U.
EXTERIOR: Mercedes-Benz “Silbergrün” (Silver Green Metallic)
INTERIOR: Chocolate nappa leather and Porsche “Pasha” check velour
PRICE: $20,000
What does it look like?
It’s a little bit old school, a little bit rock n’ roll, and a whole lotta unique. Starting with very original car and an indicated 29,000 kilometers, we took it in our own direction. Stripped and resprayed in its original “Silbergrün” paint color, we fitted sound deadening panels and factory-style pile carpets in Palomino. We wrapped the dashboard, refinished all the original wood in a lovely, natural matte look, and did the seats in a combination of chocolate nappa leather and Porsche “Pasha” velour, with its world renowned op-art twisted checkerboard pattern. Front seats are heated, and the backrests have integrated folding wood tables, so rear passengers have a place to perch a drink or, you know… maybe an iPad.
Tunes come in the form of a vintage-inspired Blaupunkt Bremen head unit, which conceals its Bluetooth and mechless modern capabilities behind a false cassette door to better sell the old school vibe, a microphone for hands-free telephony, a few JBL speakers discreetly hidden around the cockpit, and a powered Blaupunkt subwoofer under the passenger seat. In other words the sound system, which is so discreet as to be almost invisible, is sufficient.
Details abound. Phillips RaceVision headlamp bulbs. 16” replicas of the original “barock” style rims wear lower profile Pirelli P7’s, and the suspension has been lowered 30mm. All new SACHS dampers, bushings and brakes mean this 280 sits a little lower, looks a little meaner, but it’s hard for the neophyte to put their finger on exactly why. Open the trunk and a leather suitcase from the Mercedes-Benz Museum is fitted in place, as is a 300SL style umbrella. It all looks and feels very correct.
A w116 has style. It’s long, low, clean and mean. When reading a history of the w116 recently, I bumped into a passage that seems to sum it up beautifully. “Possibly the most successful thing about the w116 was its stark social incompatibility in most European countries at the time. Perhaps no car in history has managed to piss off hobbyist revolutionaries, armchair Marxists and self-proclaimed do-gooders in such a lasting way as the w116, including even the w140. Of particular interest in this way were the w116's vast and heavily chromed double bumpers, whose fast-growing appearance in the rear view mirror of a dawdling VW Beetle or leisurely swaying Citroën 2CV in the left lane of a motorway unmistakably barked: 'Move peasant, or I will destroy you.'"
Not sure about all that today, but this w116 sighs past with a blue shark’s combination of coiled power and understated grace. And that’s what makes a big Benz so special.
What’s it like to drive?
As a society we have forgotten what luxury is supposed to look and feel like. We have forgotten what true visibility feels like, and what proper driving feels like, when unaided by myriad cameras and sensors and hydraulic rams and the like. Even lowered as it is, with shorter tire sidewalls, the suspension compliance of this 280SE over pavement irregularities and speed bumps is… life changing attitude changing. After driving it around for even a day, you will no longer be impressed with the ride and handling compromise of a modern luxury vehicle.
The a-pillars are so slim the evolutionary gift of binocular vision actually allows you to see right through them. The steering is weighted so as to somehow be both entirely effortless and chock full of road feel. Things fall immediately to hand, and every surface is tactile, every switch feels like it will survive the apocalypse. Some cars are horsepower cars, others are handling cars. There are 4x4 cars and cars known for reliability. But Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicles from the 1970’s and 1980’s were the best cars. The high water mark of motoring. They were just… better at pretty much anything than pretty much anything else. They were (and are) modern enough to do anything you want a car to do, yet simple and overbuilt enough to almost never break. w116’s, w123’s, w126’s… these were watershed cars and they still feel like it today.
All this talk of luxury having been said, though? The w116 is no slouch. This injected one fires easily from a touch of the key, and the DOHC straight six fairly sings through the automatic’s four speeds. The Mercedes-Benz M110 engines is one of my all-time favorites. One of the best sounding six cylinder engines ever, and one which lives to rev. Poke around at light throttle and the M110 is quiet and efficient, the transmission shifts up early. But keep your foot in it and the car leaps forward, wailing through its rev range with an uncanny smoothness and mechanical rasp. I can see why these engines are so sought after in SL applications.
The suspension is tighter than stock and the steering response sharper, but it’s still a compliant, relaxed car. It will do anything this 280SE and go anywhere, but it’s at its best on flowing secondary roadways, where the intuitive steering and ride/handling balance allow it to cover massive ground in relaxed, composed style. Perfect touring car.