Mercedes-Benz 280 CE (W123)

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Mercedes launched its W123 range to huge acclaim in 1976. Fabulously well-built and with gracefully understated styling, the car was such an instant success that a booming black market sprang up to service those who wanted to leap-frog the 12-month waiting list.

Most handsome of all were the 230CE and 280CE coupes, based on a shortened W123 saloon platform and with elegant pillar-less side windows. While the 230CE made do with a 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine which produced around 130bhp, the 280CE had a creamy smooth fuel-injected 2.8-litre straight-six which produced an impressive 180bhp and had a top speed of 125mph. It sold steadily until it was finally replaced by the W124 range in 1985.

This April 1983 280CE was supplied new to a corporate buyer from London, Avery Rich Associates Ltd and is finished in Signal red with cream hide interior and came specified with automatic transmission, electric sliding sunroof, wood trim, electric front windows, heated rear screen, adjustable headlights, front arm rest, Mexican hat alloy wheels and headlight wipers.

It comes from a large private Mercedes-Benz collection and our vendor is trying to thin out his cars a bit. He confirms this beauty has a huge history file detailing its extensive maintenance history, which goes some way to explain the exemplary condition we see here. There are numerous maintenance invoices and correspondence dating back to 1989 along with a brace of service books containing 27 service stamps plus PDI and 24 old MOTs.

The car comes with a current MOT until February 2020 showing no advisories. The odometer shows an accumulated mileage of just under 174,000 which is an average of under 5,000 miles per year, although in true W123 fashion, its condition looks more like the decimal point on the odometer is in the wrong column!