Lot #

0442

Location

Laguna Beach, CA 92651

Seller

Dealer

77713

2.5 Liter

4 Speed Automatic

Bronze Glow

Saddle

250SE086597

This is a Buy it Now listing. You are no longer placing live bids, instead you make an offer to purchase based on the asking price shown. Offers are handled on a first come, first serve basis. If your offer is accepted there is still a 5% buyer's fee due before we connect you with the seller.

Asking Price: $69,995 Questions

Here’s the story behind the car. I bought it three or four years ago from the original owner in Beverly Hills. He passed away a year ago, and if you Google his name and read his obituary, it’s pretty impressive. From what I understand, he was a supermarket magnate in the ’60s and ’70s, became extremely successful, and was a major philanthropist in LA. He used this car as his daily commuter but eventually had to let it go because he could no longer bend down far enough to get in. He was around 91 at the time.

Before selling it, he had the car refurbished—stripped down, rust patched, and fully repainted. His plan was to pass it down to his grandson, but that didn’t work out. He told me the interior was original, though I have a hard time believing that because it’s in such good condition.

Buying the car was a gamble since they didn’t allow in-person visits before the sale. I took the risk and, as expected, it needed major mechanical work. The engine and transmission had to be rebuilt, and everything fuel- and ignition-related had to be replaced. The gas tank was removed, cleaned, and coated. Every component from the tank to the injectors was overhauled—some multiple times. The mechanical fuel injection pump? It’s on its third replacement, and this is the first one that functions properly. I’ve gone through three or four distributors, multiple sets of wires, and more.

Unfortunately, I lost the original file on the car, which has haunted me for the past two years. Luckily, all the original books—the owner’s manual, radio manual, service book, and even the original steel ID card—were too big to fit in the file, so they survived. My daughter will be dropping those off for you.

I’ve put well over $60,000 into achieving mechanical perfection, and everything works exactly as it should. Even the air conditioning blows cool.

Purists might notice that the rear license plate is lit by both the American standard (lights on either side) and the European standard (a light underneath). Not sure why, but both versions are present.

Just last weekend, I took the car on a trip to Santa Barbara and back, cruising at 80-85 mph (around 4,300 RPM). It runs beautifully.

Recently, a Mercedes interior specialist went through and fine-tuned the details—refitting kick panels, polishing chrome, removing and restoring door saddles with new rubber seals, and making sure everything was just right. He even corrected small things like replacing a single incorrect screw. That level of OCD cost me another $3,000. I need help.

One last note—some buyers might claim the odometer/tachometer binnacle should be wood instead of leather. That’s not true. Mercedes changed the design mid-year, so both versions are correct.

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