Value? Hell yes! These babies are SEVERELY undervalued and ride like FAR more expensive newer sedans. The handling characteristics are remarkable - for a car this heavy, you WILL be surprised at the kind of emergency manuvers you can make at 80MPH (BTDT!)

They ride wonderfully. They look great, even when they're rusted and the paint's clearcoat is flaking off. They handle superbly, even when suspension rubber pieces are SHOT (once again, BTDT)! As long as you don't mind the price at the pump (PREMIUM in those 4.5s!), they are MUCH cheaper to maintain than one might think, especially if you're a DIYer. Those "$200 points" can be had for $100 or less new if you know where to look (eBay). Same with almost every other part. The number of 108's/4.5's being parted out from rust seems to be large enough to be able to supply most every part in good, used condition for a good price.

If it's been well-maintained, you can really just expect to buy it and drive it forever! If it has been neglected or it's high milage with work that's been overlooked, you may have to put about $500 or so into it for subframe mounts ($100), timing chain and rails ($150), engine mounts ($50), valve stem seals ($20), and other small misc rubber bits, brake pads, caliper rebuild kits, brake line, and whatever other stuff you may run across. PLEASE, if the shocks are the original Bilsteins, and you insist on replacing them, sell me them! The original shocks, even when that old, still ride better than the cheap replacements for them.

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Current:
2021 Charger Scat Pack Widebody "Sinabee"
2018 Durango R/T

Previous:
1972 280SE 4.5
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited "Hefe", 1992 Jeep Cherokee Laredo "Jeepy", 2006 Charger R/T "Hemi"
1999 Chrysler 300M - RIP @ 221k

Again, thanks for all the feedback. One more question that's nagging at me.

I've seen some folks say that 1972 was "the last year of the handbuilt Mercedes," and some say 1973. Which is true?

Go to www.motors.ebay.com then click on "Collector Car" on the left side of the page. They always have a good selection of older Mercedes up for auction. I bought a one owner W111 last year off of E-Bay with only 59,000 miles on it.

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no later than an '84. Plenty of room, and pretty much a bulletproof, reliable car with a much simpler power plant. I remember reading a Ken Purdy short story written in the '50s about the incompatability of new offspring and chain-gang open Frazer-Nashes.

The boxy W108 and W109 sedans of the mid '60s to early '70s were the last of the swing-axle & kingpin suspension cars, based on the Fintail chassis of the late '50s. They were the last of the 'traditional' Mercedes with substantial wood, leather and chrome trim, with supposedy more hand fitting and relatively little plastic, compared to its' W116 S-class replacement.

Some late-production examples may have been sold or titled as '73 models but my book, 'Mercedes-Benz Production Models 1946-1975' by W. Robert Nitske, gives the latest production date for the 280SE 4.5 as November 1972.

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW

that explains the confusion, the new model years production usually start in about july.

They would've been Kubelwagens, not 'Things'. DO NOT sell the thing anyway, My dad has a white one (next to his Australian 'Country Buggy' which is a locally produced VW). they're great cars. don't suppose you have an eberspatcher heater too? (aren't petrol heaters impressive!)

Country Buggy looks like this -

Kubelwagen looks like this -

Kubelwagen dressed up like a tank -

and last of all a 'Thing' 181/182 -

and buy a standard run of the mill 280 or something. not something too rare.. (i don't know what 4.5's are like over there, but i've never seen one in australia)

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W114 1969 250CE - M110
W114 1972 280S - M110
W116 1979 450SEL - M117