1972 Mercedes Benz 280S - CLEAN, ORIGINAL BOULEVARD CRUISER, LOW MODEST RESERVE

1972

Mercedes 280S

VIN: 10801610084173

By late spring of 1980 Colonel Hostvedt knew his time stationed in Europe was coming to an end. He’d purchased this nice W108 sedan from its original owner several years before and couldn’t bear the thought of leaving it behind. Now considering retirement from the military upon arrival back in the states, this would be his only chance to bring a classic Benz home with him from the Fatherland. The car arrived weeks later at his final post and continued on into retirement with him in the picturesque town of Port Angeles, Washington. He would continue to own “Gustav” for the next 37 years.

Living in a smaller town like Port Angeles has its advantages. Neighbors become close and care for one another. It didn’t take long for Colonel Hostvedt to make friends with the retired commercial pilot living next door. Several months before his death, he gifted the car to him and it drove ninety feet from the Colonel’s garage over to the pilot’s next door.

While it was occasionally started to keep fluids and the battery up, the Mercedes was rarely on the road over the next 4 years. In late August “Gustav” made the trip 75 miles south to my warehouse, where he now resides.

The time has come for the car to move on to the next permanent caretaker. What you see here in my pics is a remarkably nice, original (except for paint) gasoline-powered six-cylinder sedan. If you have questions or would like to inspect the Mercedes before the auction ends, please call me to set a meeting time at our Auburn, WA warehouse. My name is Mark and my direct number is (206) 914-1173.

CONDITION:

Little has been changed since the Colonel bought the 280S all those years ago. The odometer reads 87,552 (I have no way to know what the actual miles are as it is a five-digit counter).My non-retouched photos really do tell the story. The exterior is in remarkably nice, original condition. Because a good-quality respray has been applied, the solid navy blue paint holds quite a shine and is free of scratches and dings. A quick glance and you’ll see all the glass is good. Turn the key; allow a few seconds for turn-over and the bullet-proof 2.8 liter dual carburated inline six cylinder starts every time, even when cold. The dual resonator ANSA exhaust is in good condition.The four-speed manual transmission has a strong clutch and shifts well into and between all gears. I’ve made no attempt to update the remarkably decent stock engine compartment and trunk. Rust? Please, this Mercedes hates body rust and you’ll be hard pressed to find anything here to worry about. Yes, the Puget Sound region is famous for rain, but our winter roads are rarely salted. At most we’ll only have one or two days of light snow a year. Everyone panics and just stays home. Climb over, under and throughout this car – I’m convinced you’ll come up smiling.

Please look again at the interior pictures. You’ll find the original light blue vinyl and fabric is fairly good with the exception of the driver’s seat base insert, as pictured. The original headliner is intact, but has a few small holes. I’m quite impressed with the condition of the dash gauges. They seem as clear and bright as the day this rig left Stuttgart five decades ago! Like most European vehicles of the day, it came with manual crank windows. The factory carpets are still in place and in good condition. All the wood window frame trim is excellent. Portions of the dash wood have been refinished and all sections are complete.

In addition to the positives, I always point to any issues I’ve encountered: While it’s quite unusual to find a factory Blaupunkt radio still in the dash, this one is original but isn't coming on (definitely worth keeping, as it’s value is many hundreds of Dollars). The heater system is complete, but the blower fan can be intermittent. I get a bit of exhaust smoke at cold startup, but it goes away when the engine is warmed.Finally, because the car was in storage, my tech feels the gas tank should be drained and resealed to prevent old gas and sediment from clogging the fuel filter and to prevent stalling.I recommend having a vintage Benz mechanic look over the rig before using it as a daily. We did do a complete tune-up including new spark plugs, fresh plug wires, distributor cap & rotor, new oil and filter.

PLEASE BID WITH CONFIDENCE and know that you are purchasing a nice car from a respected Ebay seller. I want you to be happy with your purchase (and with me) and that’s the main goal! Please don’t be upset by a missed flaw or some unforeseen problem! No vintage vehicle is ever perfect.

Because of the amount of money involved in buying a vehicle, I require new Ebay members with a feedback history of five or fewer transactions to call or email before placing a bid.If we don’t have this initial contact, your bid may be cancelled. As I’ve outlined above, the phone number to talk directly to me is 206/914-1173. Please feel free to call any time during the auction. My name is MARK. You are welcome and encouraged to come by my Auburn, WA warehouse to inspect & drive the Mercedes. You might also make an offer as many of my vehicles sell to smart “early bird” collectors that call and work out a deal prior to the auction’s end. I always reserve the right to sell during this period.

A Few Additional Terms and Conditions:

The entire purchase price is due by cash (in-person only), a wire transfer or other certified funds within seven days of the auction closing. I can accept credit/debit cards but will need to first send an invoice from our card processor and ask that the 3.25% fee charged by them be added. Please remember you are bidding to buy and I fully expect the winning bidder to fulfill their Ebay contract! You’re not bidding to hold or then come inspect and test-drive the vehicle later -- You’re more than welcome to do this before the auction ends.

If you decide to have the Mercedes shipped home, there are numerous vehicle transportcompanies to choose from. While delivery of the Benz and company chosen are the responsibility of the BUYER, I ship vehicles pretty regularly and have access to the nationwide Central Dispatch system. I can check to see what typical delivery costs have been to your area recently and then post a transport offer for the truck at a fair price. We usually then have a shipper lined up within a few days. The buyer pays the transporter COD when they arrive with the vehicle. No upfront deposit or other hassles.

Thecar can be stored free of charge at my location for up to two weeks after the auction ends assuming full payment has been received. After that period storage is $20 per day. This 280S is being sold as-is, where-is, with no warranty expressed or implied. All information described above is based on the observed condition when thelisting was placed. I've done my very best to accurately describe the vehicle and encourage bidders to contact me with questions before bidding.