My first Mercedes, many years ago, was a 1961 180b 'ponton' 4 speed. (In fact, I learned to 'stick-shift' on that car) VW Beetles could out-run it from stoplights but it would cruise at 70 all day. Until last year, I've owned several later models, all automatics, because by 1970, stickshifts were mostly unavailible on Mercedes in the US, except for diesels.
I used to have a '72 220-4 cyl - adquate power except on steep hills or with the AC on. I Replaced it with an almost identical 250-6 cyl - smoother, much more power and only about 1-2 MPG less than the 220.

Last October, I inherited a 1960 220S Finback from the original owner. Maybe the novelty hasn't worn off yet, but now, I enjoy driving the manual-shift Finback more than my 250.

The '82 280SE has been sold but the 230E is still availible. If I buy it, I'd have to get rid of one of my other vehicles so I'll ask for a test drive and think about it some more. I know it's not a steal at $3800 but the mileage seems low and the body looks original and rust free. Still, I'm not yet ready to snap it up. Thanks, Nick, for your input.

Happy Motoring, Mark

__________________
DrDKW