1967 Mercedes-Benz 300 SE

The 1967 Mercedes-Benz W112 300 SE holds a timeless appeal, blending classic elegance with engineering excellence. Known for its refined design, the 300 SE features luxurious details like rich wood trims and plush leather interiors, reflecting the pinnacle of 1960s automotive luxury. Its advanced engineering includes air suspension and a powerful 3.0-litre inline-six engine, delivering a smooth and dynamic driving experience.

The W112 300 SE stands as a symbol of prestige and innovation, embodying the sophisticated style and superior craftsmanship that has made Mercedes-Benz an enduring icon in the automotive world.

This example has been subject to extensive work over the years. As you will see from the documents, it has also been successfully used in some classic rallies, finishing first in its class on more than one occasion. Since the video taken of the car running we have struggled to start the car in our showroom.

The W112 300 SE features a stately, elongated body with well-balanced proportions, exuding a sense of elegance and prestige. With its smooth, flowing lines and subtle curves, it gives a sleek yet commanding presence on the road.

The 300 SE did have some restoration to the exterior and mechanicals in 2011. The body restoration has fared well; however, there are some minor blemishes which have crept in since the restoration.

Starting with the iconic Mercedes-Benz front end, the chrome work presents well with just a minor amount of tarnishing. The grille is in excellent condition, but unfortunately, the centre has come out of the three-pointed star, although this wouldn’t be a difficult item to replace. The headlight units look in good condition with no damage to the lenses. There is some corrosion and blistering on the driver’s side wing above and below the light unit. The bonnet aligns well on both sides and, moving up, the windscreen surround has some light patina along with the seal that has perished slightly, but the glass is in good condition.

From the sides, you can appreciate the smooth, fine lines of the 300 SE in all their glory, enhanced with the pillarless coupé look. The metallic grey lower half looks to be free from any dings or dents, the doors look to align well, and there are just the odd age-related cosmetic marks here and there. The chrome window surrounds, wheel arch, and sill trims present well, with just a small amount of tarnishing. The roof is finished in metallic silver, which is a nice contrast against the lower section of the Mercedes-Benz; this also has a factory-fitted electric sunroof, which is working correctly.

As the iconic fin-tail quarters come to an end at the rear, the boot lid lines up with an equal gap; the driver’s side light lens does have a crack across the top, which has been repaired but is noticeable. However, should you find a replacement, this would be easy enough to replace. The chrome work, like the front, has minor tarnishing but presents well.

All four wheels look to be in good condition and are finished with a metallic grey and chrome hubcap, which matches the lower half of the car. The period-looking white wall tyres are in good order, with plenty of tread remaining.

Finished with a classic red leather interior, which is a fantastic combination against the metallic grey exterior.

The seats present well with just some light patina, more noticeable on the driver’s seat as you would expect. In matching leather to the seats, the door cards are in good

condition, with just a few small scuff marks on the driver’s door that may be reduced with some cleaning products.

Sitting behind the original steering wheel, which looks in great condition, the dashboard is also trimmed in red leather and finished with a walnut fascia, which has a nice shine to the lacquered finish. The VDO instruments are said to be working correctly, and the odometer shows a reading of 18,010 miles. The switchgear has some age-related patina in keeping with the age of the 300 SE.

The red carpets present quite well; there is some wear in the usual areas, such as the driver heel pad, and just behind the seats on the transmission tunnel, there is a tear in the carpet. The headlining has some minor marks, but it sits well against the roof with no sagging. Inside the boot is clean and tidy, and the spare wheel and jack are present, along with an aftermarket first aid kit.

Over the years, the Mercedes-Benz has been subject to some extensive mechanical work as detailed in the documents section. The vendor even took the car on a four-hour journey to bring it to us.

The automatic gearbox has a smooth change, pulling well through the gears, but we did notice that the car does lurch forward when put into drive; this, however, has not been investigated.

As standard, the 300 SE came with an air suspension set-up on the rear; this was the Achilles heel for the model, which many people changed in favour of less troublesome steel springs.

No issues have been reported with the brakes, and the 300 SE comes to a stop as you would expect and in a straight line.

Looking at the underside, there is some surface corrosion present on some of the floor area and suspension components, but nothing which couldn’t be treated to future-proof it from getting worse.  Since the video taken of the car running we have struggled to start the car in our showroom.

There is an extensive amount of invoices for the Mercedes-Benz, which are highly detailed, showing the hundreds of parts which have been fitted over the years, not to mention the hundreds of man-hours spent on the car around 2011. There are also some previous MoT certificates and a DVD showing some of the photographs taken during the restoration.

Since the completion of the restoration, the car went on to gain rally pedigree by competing in both the 2011 and 2013 Winter Challenge Historic Rallies to Monte Carlo, where it finished first in class. More recently, it finished an outstanding fifth overall in the Classic category and second in class on the gruelling Road To Mandalay from Raffles Hotel Singapore to Burma in February.

With a stack of paperwork showing extensive costs and man-hours ploughed into the 300 SE, this shows the right kind of people have cared for the Mercedes-Benz in the past.

There are some minor cosmetic blemishes and a couple of mechanical niggles to be addressed.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £30,000 - £40,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am- 12pm or 2pm-4pm. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.