Is there anything more delightful than cruising on a cool evening, top down, big sky overhead, illumination courtesy of thousands of stars, who anticipating your late-night cruise tens of millions of years ago, sent their light your way?
This 280SL is the perfect car for such a ride; I love seeing one of my favorite classic convertibles in one of my favorite color combos, Midnight Blue over Parchment White. (I had a Red/Tan 1986 560 SL for 17 years; sold it for exactly what I paid for it).
Recently sold on BAT, she appears to have undergone a money-is-no-object restoration. The car was disassembled and repainted under previous ownership and repainted a second time recently; the 2.8-liter M130 inline-six was mated to a period-incorrect five-speed Tremec manual (MB offered 4-speed manuals as standard in 1969). The restoration included the repaint, an interior re-trim, and an overhaul of the suspension, brakes, steering, and AC.
The Midnight Blue exterior paired with a Parchment leather interior is a spectacular combination, one of my favorites. No wonder this baby went for $180,000 at Bring A Trailer.
But you don’t have to spend big bucks to enjoy open-air driving; go find a used Miata — skip the $4,000 versions with 200k miles — find yourself a well-sorted Miata for $10-15k with less than 40,000 on the odometer; $20k buys you under 20,000 miles — practically new! (And manual transmissions, too!). It’s the perfect starter car for anyone who wants to enjoy open-air driving on a beautiful day or night…
Source: Bring A Trailer
