Mercedes-Benz 220SEb Cabriolet vs 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet: a numbers game

By Martin Buckley

| 5 May 2025

Classic & Sports Car – Mercedes-Benz 220SEb Cabriolet vs 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet: half-price glamour

Some cars never really go through a ‘cheap and cheerful’ period.

Bought new for £7249 in 1970 (£97,500 in 2025 money), a good Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet – one of 68 right-hookers – might still have been worth £6000 in 1974: that’s 83% of its new value, when a contemporary Aston Martin DB6 Volante had by then lost 30% of its £5684 list price.

The V8-powered Cabriolet only cost £250 more than its 3.5 Coupé sibling, but the closed car was much more popular in Britain: 225 were sold, as opposed to 35 UK dropheads; the remainder of the right-hand-drive production run went to left-handed territories.

The Mercedes-Benz 220SEb was the first of the W111 Coupés and Cabriolets

Most of the original batch of UK-spec cars have survived and, like this one being offered by the SL Shop, are in superb order and priced accordingly.

This car is ‘price on application’: we can assume it’s around twice the £149,995 being asked for the Mercedes 220SEb Cabriolet.

With later 14in wheels and stacked headlights, the six-pot drophead was the personal car, last summer, of SL Shop founder Sam Bailey.

The Mercedes-Benz 220SEb Cabriolet’s stacked headlights mirror the double-decker front bumper

The cultish and rather blinkered world of the fancy classic Mercedes-Benz rather loses its sense of proportion, in my view, when it comes to these undeniably desirable four-seater convertibles.

Even if you do not concede that there are rarer, faster and possibly equally beautiful luxury dropheads of the period from other manufacturers, it is hard to ignore that, if you are willing to forgo two cylinders and 80bhp, you can have a car that looks almost exactly the same for a substantially lower price.

The W111 Coupés and Cabriolets, first seen in 220SEb form in 1961, were based on the floorpan of the Fintail saloon, with low-pivot swing-axle rear suspension, front discs and either four-speed manual or, more commonly, automatic transmissions.

Is Mercedes’ coveted 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet really worth double the 220SEb?

Extra longitudinal and crossmember stiffening took account of the lack of a central pillar, adding 154lb to the cabrio over the Mercedes 220SE saloon.

Power steering was optional, but few cars went without.

These cars were perhaps the high point in Mercedes-Benz post-war styling and conceived as a way of rationalising the company’s prestige two-door range, which, in the ’50s, consisted of the hugely expensive and handbuilt 300S, and the more compact (and merely very pricey) W180 Ponton coupés and convertibles.

The Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet rolls into tight corners

The grand 3-litre cars, flagships of the range, generally sold to the tune of fewer than 100 a year to film stars and heads of state, while the Mercedes-Benz 220 Ponton models found little more than 1000 buyers annually.

They were, in any case, due to be made technically obsolete by the introduction of the Fintail saloons in 1959.

The origins of the W111 Coupé/Cabriolet shape can be traced back to 1957, when Paul Bracq began working on a coupé that was from the start intended to appeal to US buyers who had developed a fondness for pillarless hardtop styling.

The shape of its squat, glassy roof was established quite early, and it was a simple matter to come up with a soft-top version.

The 220SEb Cabriolet’s 2195cc short-stroke ‘six’ pulls well and is happy to rev

His first renditions – marked 300SE – had tailfins, but Mercedes was already regretting having adopted this passing fad on its saloon, and they had disappeared from the coupé by the time the design was settled in 1959.

Pilot production Mercedes 220SEb Coupés were completed in September 1960, and the first series examples were finished by February 1961.

The Coupé was previewed at the opening of the new Daimler-Benz museum, but didn’t get its official launch until the Geneva Salon in March of that year, when much of the impact was stolen by the debut of the Jaguar E-type.

Cabriolet 220SEbs weren’t available for another seven months.

‘Sit back and enjoy its torque and the supple ride that has none of the scuttle shake associated with most open-top cars’

At £4400 – only a few hundred pounds less than a new Bentley S2, and a third more than a Mercedes-Benz 220SE saloon – expectations were high, but generally the 220SEb Coupé/Cabriolet lived up to them with refinements such as a foot-operated wash/wipe function for its clap-hands windscreen wipers.

It was the first Mercedes passenger car to have disc brakes, albeit only on the front and made by Girling in the UK.

Double-decker bumpers, 13in steel rims and tombstone-shaped Bosch vertical headlights (with integral fogs) linked the Coupé to the more staid four-door.

The dignity of the classic grille was retained, although a horizontal, SL-type front end had been considered.

This Mercedes-Benz 220SEb Cabriolet’s cabin has walnut trim and an eye-catching ivory steering wheel

Mercedes’ 220SEb Coupé was virtually the same length as its 220SE Fintail stablemate, but a touch wider at 72in, and it had a 3¾in-lower roof.

All of its panels were unique, as was most of the glass and chrome – including the heavily wrapped-around rear bumper.

The bodyshells, with their progressively collapsing crumple zones, were as crash-proven as the Fintail saloon’s.

The two-door models had hand-finished bodies with more wood and leather inside than the saloons, befitting their position as the most expensive in the range bar the Mercedes-Benz 600.

Chrome detailing on this Mercedes 220SEb Cabriolet

In 1962, Mercedes’ 220SEb Cabriolet was joined by the 3-litre, air-suspended 300, with all-round discs and standard power steering.

The 250 replaced the 220 in ’65, as the convertible and coupé began to take their technical lead from the S-Class W108s that replaced the range-topping Fintails that year.

In ’67, the Mercedes 280SE Cabrio usurped the 300, paving the way for the 3.5-litre V8 in 1969.

This last-of-the-line model was conceived for the US market, which was addicted to torquey, smooth V8s and wanted more power.

The supple and soft Mercedes-Benz 220SEb Cabriolet rides with maturity, and feels confident in faster corners

They were the first cars to get this new engine, which had the latest Bosch electronic fuel injection and, for America, emission controls.

It was still clearly a Fintail spin-off underneath: single-joint, low-pivot swing-axle rear suspension (with central compensator spring), then front wishbones and coils with 19 grease points that required attention every 2000 miles.

With 200bhp, the 3.5 Cabriolet – confusingly badged 280SE 3.5 – didn’t hang about, posting a 125mph top speed and a sub-10 secs 0-60mph time.

The exterior was subtly modernised, with a more squat grille and rubber inserts in the expensive double-decker bumpers.

The Mercedes-Benz 220SEb Cabriolet’s column-mounted gearshift suits the six-cylinder motor

You could still buy a straight-six Mercedes-Benz 280SE that was visually identical other than the badge on the bootlid.

On the basis of rarity, investment potential and ease of driving, the 3.5 has to win this argument.

The massive disparity in pricing means that the two cars aren’t even appealing to the same customer base.

And yet, fiscal considerations aside, there is a case to be made for the six-cylinder car.

The Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet is assured in longer, faster turns

I prefer its assertive grille and certain details of its finish, such as the use of walnut around the instruments and the door furniture.

I’m quite partial to a column shift and the ivory steering wheel, which hints at the marque’s wartime models.

You have to wind your own windows in the Mercedes-Benz 220SEb Cabriolet (electric windows were in effect standard in the 3.5), but it’s disappointing that neither car had a powered hood – a strange omission on expensive, America-focused models.

The plastic rear windows in both of these upmarket ragtops appear a little ‘poverty’, too, but they look handsome with their roofs erected.

The Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet’s V8 engine has the upper hand, with effortless, usable urge

You aren’t exactly slumming it in either car.

Long, heavy frameless doors shut beautifully and give access to a lavish cabin where seating arrangements have been redistributed in favour of sportier, long-deck proportions.

The finely figured walnut, fat seats and chrome are typically ’60s German, but there is more safety padding in the later car.

Hefty three-quarter blind spots (with hoods raised), decent rear legroom and huge boots are common to both. Firm seats give a commanding view across the bonnets, the V8’s having a broader hump.

‘Coupés and Cabriolets had hand-finished bodies, befitting their position as the most expensive in the range bar the Mercedes-Benz 600’

On the road, the Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet is smoother, livelier and more effortless, with urge in hand to keep up with – and often overtake – the general run of modern cars.

It is also easy to live with: twist the key, hear the fuel pump whirr and feel the V8 catch, then slip it into gear with a remote bump and ease the car’s bulk into traffic with authoritative verve to accelerate away.

It pulls strongly into the 90s and will cruise the 3460lb convertible at 110mph all day long.

With care it can return 20mpg, making these quite practical daily cars (in relative terms).

The Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet has rich hide and extras such as electric windows

The auto ’box was never the best point of this model.

Changes in the lower gears have more of an edge than drivers of modern cars are used to, and the throttle needs an aggressive jab to get kickdown.

The floor-mounted quadrant is there to be used when driving ambitiously.

The brakes feel strong and modern, and the steering is light but not entirely disconnected from the road.

The Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet has a floor-mounted quadrant

The 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet handles easily, softly in almost all circumstances.

It heaves and dips its nose a little in tight, run-wide corners, but feels assured and confident on faster, longer curves.

Hard driving might persuade the 3.5 to waggle its swing-axles in the air, but it doesn’t encourage such aggressive use.

It wants to waft maturely: simply sit back and enjoy its torque, the smell of leather, the smooth weight and precision of each switch and button, and the supple ride that has none of the scuttle shake normally associated with open-top cars.

‘The Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet’s finely figured walnut, fat seats and chrome are typically ’60s German’

You can say much the same of the Mercedes-Benz 220SEb Cabriolet.

It is slower, noisier and requires that you hold momentum to get the best out of it.

Its steering is a shade lighter, but it rides just as well and, if anything, its gearshifts are smoother.

If 2195cc and 120bhp don’t sound like much for a 3000lb-plus five-seater, you would be hard pressed to say that the 220SEb feels slow.

Once again it keeps up with modern traffic easily and will cruise way beyond the national speed limit.

The Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet was a subtle evolution of Paul Bracq’s stylish W111

Even with the more commonly fitted column-shift automatic gearbox (which suits it rather better than the floor-change manual, with its odd set of ratios), Stuttgart’s overhead-cam, short-stroke M127 ‘six’ thrives on revs, breathing well through large, staggered valves.

It is geared to pull its 108mph maximum speed at 6000rpm and was designed from the start as an engine that could sustain high revs for long periods without flying apart.

As in the 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet, fuel injection makes for easy cold starts and general good manners.

The Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet’s chrome trim was executed tastefully without resorting to over-stylised excess

It’s a mechanical port type, featuring twin injection pumps with a timed distribution, rather than a separate pump for each cylinder as in the Mercedes-Benz 300SL.

The system takes account of ambient temperature for fuel flow and has an overrun cut-off.

The 220SEb was easily the most numerous of Mercedes’ two-door cars, the combined Convertible and Coupé total of 16,902 examples accounting for well over half of six-cylinder W111 and W112 (representing the air-suspended 300) two-door production through to 1967.

The Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet has a great forward view, but the raised soft-top creates a blind spot to the rear

The 1961-’71 W111 Coupés almost saw out two generations of the marque’s large saloons before finally being usurped by the SLC range in 1972.

In the corporate line-up, only Mercedes’ 600 and 300SEL 6.3 were more expensive.

That said, it is sobering to think that the nearest equivalent luxury V8 ragtop, the Rolls-Royce Mulliner Park Ward Drophead, sold for nearly double the price of the W111 Cabriolet.

The Rolls-Royce Corniche undoubtedly soaked up, for years afterwards, buyers who looked in vain for a 3.5 drop-top replacement in showrooms.

The Mercedes-Benz W111 became synonymous for fine looks and impeccable quality

That they were still greatly in demand secondhand says a lot for the timelessness of Paul Bracq’s W111 shape; the fact that the flagship model gained two cylinders (and 80bhp) during its 10-year run only whetted wealthy buyers’ appetites for a vehicle with a discreetly majestic appeal that no subsequent big Benz range-topper has quite recaptured.

Being the fastest (if not quite the rarest) of the W111 Mercedes-Benzes, it’s no surprise that the 1969-’71 280SE 3.5 V8s are still the most hotly pursued by collectors: that is only human nature.

However, if you accept that these four-seater cabrios are really about making their owners look and feel good (rather than outright performance), then the value offered by the six-cylinder car is hard to ignore.

I can think of a small garage full of cars I would choose before either of these Teutonic dream machines, but they are still immensely desirable for their looks, engineering and driver appeal.

Images: Max Edleston

Thanks to: SL Shop; Billesley Manor Hotel and Spa

Factfiles

Mercedes-Benz 220SEb Cabriolet

Sold/number built 1961-’65/16,902 (Coupé and Cabriolet)
Construction steel monocoque
Engine iron-block, alloy-head, sohc 2195cc straight-six, Bosch fuel injection
Max power 120bhp @ 5400rpm
Max torque 132lb ft @ 5400rpm
Transmission four-speed automatic, RWD
Suspension independent, at front by unequal-length wishbones, anti-roll bar rear low-pivot swing axles; telescopic dampers, coil springs f/r
Steering power-assisted recirculating ball
Brakes discs front, drums rear, with servo
Length 16ft ¼in (4883mm)
Width 6ft ¾in (1848mm)
Height 4ft 8in (1422mm)
Wheelbase 9ft ¼in (2750mm)
Weight 3104lb (1408kg)
0-60mph 12.4 secs
Top speed 108mph
Mpg 18-26
Price new £4414
Price now £70-150,000*

Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet

Sold/number built 1969-’71/4502 (Coupé & Cabriolet)
Construction steel monocoque
Engine iron-block, alloy-heads, sohc-per-bank 3499cc 90° V8, Bosch fuel injection
Max power 200bhp @ 5800rpm
Max torque 211lb ft @ 4000rpm
Transmission four-speed automatic, RWD
Suspension independent, at front by unequal-length wishbones, anti-roll bar rear low-pivot swing axles; telescopic dampers, coil springs f/r
Steering power-assisted recirculating ball
Brakes discs, with servo
Length 16ft ¼in (4883mm)
Width 6ft ¾in (1848mm)
Height 4ft 8in (1422mm)
Wheelbase 9ft ¼in (2750mm)
Weight 3460lb (1569kg)
0-60mph 9.4 secs
Top speed 125mph
Mpg 14-29
Price new £7249
Price now £250-300,000*