No matter how expensive, attractive, or lavishly furnished a car may be, when you see too many examples of it out on the road or in parking lots, it starts to feel much less special. Our Pick of the Day, a 1967 Mercedes-Benz 300 SE Cabriolet posted on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Missouri, is all those things, but it still manages to remain special.
Why? Because there’s a good chance you’ll never see one up close. If you do, there probably won’t be a second time—Mercedes only made 708 300 SE Cabriolets between February 1962 and December 1967. Statistically, a certain percentage of those have likely been lost to accidents, natural disasters, or poor care/negligence. This particular 300 SE cabrio not only avoided such a fate but, thanks to a reportedly $300,000 restoration, it also looks decades younger than its model year indicates.
As part of the visual overhaul, the Paul Bracq-designed body was refinished in Anthracite Grey Metallic, which is attractive all by itself and even more handsome under the chocolatey Brown soft top. Those are definitely conservative colors, but the 300 SE’s lines and chrome accents should have no problem turning heads.
When the top is down, people will definitely be looking to see who’s in this majestic open-air cruiser. As they do, they’ll also get a glimpse of the Cognac leather upholstery and gleaming, vibrant wood trim on the upper and middle sections of the dashboard. Only the driver of this W112 and his/her passengers will get to experience the convenience of its power features, full sound of its Becker Grand Prix AM/FM radio, and comfort of its air suspension.
Given that this 300 SE was built after 1964, its M189 (189.987) fuel-injected 3.0-liter I6 benefits from a slight bump in output to 170 horsepower and 183 lb-ft of torque. A four-speed automatic with a column-mounted shifter puts this drop-top into motion and gives people the chance to see a rare sight.
You don’t have to be one of those many—you can be one of the few to own such a low-production vehicle. The price of that privilege—and this 1967 Mercedes-Benz 300 SE Cabriolet—is $269,900.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com