The AutoHunter Spotlight for today is a 1972 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 4.5 offered by a seller based in Gladstone, Oregon.
When the Mercedes-Benz 280SE 4.5 was tested by Road & Track magazine in 1971, it was called the best European luxury sedan in the world. Based on the W108 chassis, the 280SE came equipped with a number of inline-6 engines over the years, including a 3.5-liter V8 and the mighty 6.3-liter V8. For the model year 1972, Mercedes added what many felt was the perfect combination—lengthening the stroke of the 3.5-liter to increase displacement to 4.5 liters. This change was exactly what prospective owners were hoping for. Mercedes routinely received top marks in magazine road tests for this one-year-only car and engine combination.
About 25 years ago, I had the privilege of owning one of these cars, which I used as my daily driver while working in northern Virginia. I drove it for an entire year, even in the snow and rain, and the car delivered on that Road & Track statement each time.
While not the full-bore classic sports sedan the legendary 6.3 is, the 280SE 4.5 is an extremely well-balanced European luxury sedan that features some of the best build quality ever (even better than the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow) and is more than capable of keeping up with modern traffic. It is also the bargain of the V8-powered W108/109 Series S-Class cars. Driving a 280SE 4.5 is somehow engaging and serene at the same time, making it a great car to use if you need to cover great distances with three passengers aboard.
The exterior of this 280SE is painted in the correct Mercedes color of Horizon Blue. Many find this color polarizing, but it somehow lightens the look of the 280SE design, making it sportier yet still elegant. The seller says this car underwent a complete restoration sometime in its past. Looking at the exterior and chassis photos, this car does seem to be a pretty clean example, though you can see a slight rust issue on the rear of the right front fender. What is interesting is that my personal 280SE had a small rust spot in the exact same location, which I was able to have repaired properly for not a lot of money. Keep both the fender and the low cost to fix in mind when bidding, as Horizon Blue is a pretty easy color to match.
The interior is finished in Dark Blue MB-Tex and appears to be in great shape. I honestly prefer MB-Tex over leather because it has its own unique properties, including better cooling through the vented seat panels. Virtually indestructible, MB-Tex has to be the very highest-quality synthetic seat material ever made and even feels great to the touch.
The view behind the wheel of this 280SE is vintage German awesomeness. The main instrument cluster features a 160-mph speedometer on the right and a multi-gauge on the left, with auxiliary gauges for the oil pressure, temperature, and fuel, as well as a clock.
Under the hood is the fuel-injected Mercedes SOHC 4.5-liter M117 V8, which is paired with a three-speed automatic transmission. When new, this engine produced 230hp and 279 lb-ft of torque, giving it ample power to deal with modern traffic both in town and on the interstate. Everything looks reasonably tidy under the hood; I did not see anything that caused me to raise red flags.
If you have been searching for a car that clearly demonstrates some of the best engineering and build quality Mercedes-Benz has ever delivered (and, with a little effort attending to a few items that can easily make a good car better), then you should probably consider placing a bid or two on this 1972 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 4.5 sedan. Don’t wait too long, though, as the auction for this car ends on Thursday, September 18, 2025, at 12:30 p.m. (PDT).
Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery
