1972 Mercedes-Benz 280SEL 4.5

Description

A very attractive classic 1972 Mercedes-Benz 280SEL 4.5 in my family since 1984. The car has had many recent repairs, including repainting in the original tan color, installation of a new Becker Europa radio, and suspension work. Upholstery and rest of interior look good, with the exception of the wood trim needing revarnishing or replacement.

This is a 44 year old classic car. TLC and some repairs will be wanted. The windshield has minor nicks, resulting from road debris (other glass in good shape). The odometer shows 136,000 miles but is not working. Estimated miles are 150,000. The car is roadworthy and ready for further restoration.

A little background on this classic car: The Mercedes-Benz W108 and Ws 109 vehicles equipped with the 4.5L SOHC cast-iron block m117 V-8 were produced, starting in early 1971, with the 280SE 4.5. The 4.5 engine was released by Mercedes initially for the North American market, to get around the tougher emissions standards without killing the engine output and performance of the 3.5L engine. The m117 4.5 is very similar to the 3.5, with a 30 mm taller stroke. The heads also received larger combustion chambers, lowered compression to 8.8:1 or 8.0:1, depending on engine variation and production date. Power was 230 or 200 horsepower in Europe, depending on compression but 195 horsepower for North America. The D-Jet EFI system was tuned further for the 4.5, with a specific ECU that gave a 10 percent full-throttle enrichment. This (along with a taller rear-end gear) allowed the 4.5 to achieve similar efficiency to the 3.5, yet more power on full throttle. The 3.5 and 4.5 are so similar that 3.5 heads can fit directly on a 4.5 with no modifications for a roughly 11:1 compression ratio.

The 108 and 109 Chassis Mercedes-Benz vehicles with the 4.5L m117 V-8 are still, to this date, sought after by collectors who owned one in the early 1970s (or who had a family member or friend with one). Also, Europeans are buying examples from the US and shipping them back to Europe. The 4.5 wasn’t offered in Europe at the time, and it has a possibly stronger following than the 3.5 in Europe. In 1971, the 280 SEL 4.5 sedan was available at the same time as the regular-length 3.5 sedan. The almost four-inch (10-centimeter) difference gave the rear-seat passengers additional space, a plus on longer journeys.

The 4.5-liter engined long sedan outsold the 3.5-liter version by three-to-one in 1971 and the following year, the more powerful version was the choice of more than 6,000 customers while only about 500 people chose the lesser car. Production in 1971-1972 totaled 8,173 units.

This car is being sold as-is and where-is. Clean Maryland title. See payment details below. Buyer responsible for pick-up or shipping.