Lot details Registration No: JNH999Y Chassis No: 12305322026261 Mot Expiry: June 2010
Mercedes introduced the four-door saloons from its new W123 model range in January of 1976. The 230CE and 280CE four-seat coupe derivatives were launched in the spring of the same year and the long wheelbase saloon and estate car variants followed in 1977. The coupes were based on a shortened (by 8.5cm) version of the saloon's platform. They shared an elegant, pillarless two-door, five-seater body with enormous boot. The 230CE was powered by a four-cylinder 2307cc engine producing around 109bhp, while the 280CE sported a straight-six 2746cc unit that offered 185bhp and endowed the car with considerably more performance than its sibling - ie a top speed of just under 120mph and an acceleration from 0-60mph of some 9.5 seconds. The 280CE's Bosch fuel injected engine was mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. The suspension was independent all-round with front / rear anti-roll bars. Steering was by power assisted Daimler-Benz recirculating ball and the braking by servo assisted four-wheel discs. The handbrake, of unusual design at the time, was operated by a pull-out handle to the right of the steering wheel. Steel wheels were standard equipment - alloy ones were an option. A beautifully constructed long distance touring car, the 280CE continued to sell well in the UK until 1985, despite its relatively high asking price.
The RHD example offered was manufactured in 1982 and is finished in blue with Mercedes-Benz Tex/cloth trim. The car has had "just two owners from new" and boasts "27 stamps in its service book". It is also understood to come with "all original manuals and spare keys, plus its last 12 MOTs", and it even sports an original Grundig stereo unit. The Mercedes is said to have just benefited from "a major service", not to mention "a set of brand new Michelin tyres, a new Mercedes exhaust system, window seals and soundproofing". The owner describes the bodywork, paintwork and interior trim as "immaculate". Indeed, he goes so far as to say that "the car does not need a single penny spending on it" and invites potential purchasers to "look under the sills, doors, wheel-arches and carpets and see how superb the car's condition is!"
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