1966 Mercedes 250SE Coupe - Gorgeous, Solid and Mechanically Excellent Example

Offered for sale is an absolutely gorgeous. mechanically excellent. entirely solid 1966 Mercedes 250SE Coupe finished in perpetually tasteful and factory correct White (DB 050) over a rich Cognac leather interior. Heckflosse (fin tail) W111 coupes are one of the most timelessly elegant cars that Mercedes ever produced. especially in their European version. as this car is. In our opinion. they're also one of the most undervalued investment grade cars on the market today. as their convertible and eight cylinder kin continue to break sale records at nearly every collector car auction in the annual circuit. It's only a matter of time before the market catches up to the six cylinder W111s. making them excellent investments that are modern enough mechanically to truly drive and enjoy.

An Italian doctor ordered the car originally. importing it to the United States in 1968 when he moved to San Francisco. and consequently the car still retains its Italian license plate. He sold the car to a family in Carmel. CA in the 1970s and they lovingly cared for it for nearly 40 years. In the late 1980s they determined that the car needed some freshening. and they entrusted the renowned Canepa Designs in Scotts Valley to take the car down to bare metal and repaint it in its factory correct color and correctly replace the driver side pans to address some mild rust concerns. Canepa is known for their extremely expensive but meticulous restorations. and it shows just how much the car was loved that the prior owner commissioned them to perform the necessary work when the car's value was minimal at best. The second owners sold the car to Canepa's director of marketing in 2012. and we in turn purchased it from him.

Deep and consistent. Canepa's high quality finish has held up beautifully. marred only by the most negligible of imperfections. none of which are significant enough to appear in any of the pictures. The body is entirely straight and free of dings or dents. the chrome is fantastic and the glass and rubber are in great shape. The car retains its correct date coded wheels and color matched hubs. wrapped in nearly new Michelin tires. The car's interior is equally as clean. the seats. carpets and interior panels all virtually flawless following reupholstery in the correct Mercedes materials in 1994.   The wood was also refinished at that time and it is absolutely gorgeous. inlaid in a dash that houses fully functional gauges. The car currently doesn't have a radio installed. however it comes with a Becker Europa model that is era correct. We determined that we'd leave the decision of the correct or more modern radio up to the buyer. however we can install the Becker unit if requested. The headliner is in excellent shape. rounding out a truly tasteful and well-executed interior.

The car is in fantastic shape mechanically. the numbers matching engine firing up easily. idling consistently and pulling strongly and smoothly through each of the manual transmission's gears. It's worth noting for those unfamiliar with Mercedes W111s that factory manual gearboxes are extremely desirable due to the way that they're geared compared to the automatic transmission models. which were produced in a much higher volume. Further. the fuel injected European 250SE is considerably more powerful than the 220SE. and has the same power as the US version of the 280SE. without that model's overheating issues. Ride quality is exceptional. the brakes and suspension behaving normally. and the car is joy to drive. whether tooling through town or bombing down the highway. This is the first era of Mercedes' classic cars that are adequately powered and so solidly built that they can truly be daily drivers. however this gorgeous example has always been a weekend cruiser.

This is an excellent opportunity to acquire an appreciating classic that has all the right things going for it: European version. fantastic cosmetics. rust-free. manual transmission and excellent mechanicals. It's sure not to disappoint its next owner. whether it be a seasoned collector or weekend enthusiast. Please bid accordingly.

We want this car to go to great home and would be happy to further discuss it and answer any questions. so please feel free to email us or call us at 805-708-2404. You can also visit us online at GoodmanReed.

Goodman Reed Motorcars 

We've always had an appreciation for classic European cars and over the years have created an eclectic personal collection. We only buy cars that we'd personally be interested in owning and generally only sell them to make room for other acquisitions. That time has come for this Mercedes (if the price is right. of course – this isn't a fire sale). We try to give accurate descriptions of the cars we're selling. but we're enthusiasts. not experts. and we encourage and are happy to help facilitate personal or professional inspections. But please do so before bidding. as the alternative harms our ability to make sales to other interested parties who have done their proper due diligence before bidding.  

For U. S. buyers a 10% non-refundable deposit is required within 3 days of the auction's end. the balance to be paid within 7 days of the auction's end. Foreign buyers must pay in full within 7 business days of the auction's end. Buyer is responsible for shipping. however we'd be more that happy to help with recommendations and arrangements. The car is listed locally and we reserve the right to end the auction at any time should it sell prior to auction's end. Thanks for your interest.  

Also published at eBay.com

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