To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' Paris event, 31 January 2024.

• Believed to be one of only 708 convertible W112 variants made; one of under 100 examples prepared for the US market in 1967
• Late-model 170-horsepower engine, an evolution of the 300 SL unit
• Features desirable factory options including air-conditioning plus front and rear power windows
• Benefits from restoration work focusing on interior upholstery and woodwork renewal, further to the fitment of a replacement soft-top

Over the course of its 1960s production run, few cars posed the Mercedes-Benz 300 SE Cabriolet serious competition in the contemporary luxury stakes, save perhaps for the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III. The German car’s main rivals came from within, as Mercedes-Benz launched the larger and grander 600 in 1963 further to the more up-to-date W109 platform in 1965. While in-house alternatives may have stunted the success of the 300 SE Cabriolet when new, today it is coveted by collectors.

This late-production 300 SE was specified for the US market in 1967, benefitting from the more powerful 170 horsepower 3.0-litre engine mated to a four-speed, column-shift transmission and limited-slip differential. It is believed that the Mercedes-Benz was retained by a long-term owner in the US, prior to returning to Europe. At an unknown point, the 300 SE was fitted with a replacement engine. Other items of desirable and original equipment—including air-suspension, air-conditioning and white-wall tyres—remain, while the Mercedes-Benz is finished in its factory-correct shade of Dark Blue. Amid restoration work understood to have been carried out within the past 10 years, the interior of the 300 SE was refreshed with renewed upholstery and woodwork, while its soft-top and items of brightwork were replaced. This 300 SE affords one of the very best ways to enjoying classic convertible motoring.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/pa24.