1970 MERCEDES-BENZ (W114) 250 CE

This Mercedes-Benz 250 CE – or ‘BAM’ as the car is known by the owner – is an elegant pillarless coupe, which is presented in very good order, and would make a stylish classic daily driver. Under the bonnet is a 147bhp fuel-injected 2.5-litre straight-six, driving the rear wheels via a four-speed floor-shift manual transmission. The odometer shows 79,388 km, which is not warranted, but believed to be correct – and the condition certainly supports this.

A 1970 left-hand drive car, it is understood to have been imported from Florence, Italy, to the UK in 2016, where it was re-registered in April that year. There are three previous keepers on the UK V5C, and the fourth owner here acquired the car last year from a friend. He has since covered some 7,000 km on the road - with it seeing regular use through summer 2020 - and the car has performed superbly.

The bodywork is reported to be in excellent condition overall, with flush shut lines, and no signs of accident damage to the external panels. It has certainly been resprayed in the past, and the finish presents well today. There are a few minor blemishes in the paint, which are shown in the gallery below, and also a chip in the window glass. The brightwork looks generally superb, and the car rides on 14-inch steel wheels with polished rims and body-coloured hubcaps. Its exhaust system appears to have been replaced fairly recently.

Inside, the blue vinyl and blue ribbed cloth upholstery is believed to be entirely original. The driver’s seat base has worn through, and would benefit from being re-trimmed given the high quality of the rest of the cabin, and there are also some climate-related stress cracks in the dashboard covering. The wood inlays are patinated but not damaged, and overall the interior simply oozes 1970s sophistication.

The last routine maintenance was carried out at approximately 76,500 km, by the vendor who was a trained Mercedes-Benz mechanic in the 1990s. This comprised an engine oil and filter change, a new fuel filter, spark plugs, coolant, and renewal of the gearbox and differential oils. All of the brakes were checked and the system was bled, and the steering and suspension was also inspected and found to be in good order. Finally, the engine’s valve clearances were checked and adjusted, to ensure the car was running well.

There is little service history prior to this, though invoices in the file from New Forest classic car specialist Ashley Motor Services dated to 2019 and 2017 cover some additional work, including skimming of the front brake discs, fitment of new rear subframe mounting bushes, and two new rear shock absorbers.

The car is now exempt from annual MOT testing, though its last inspection was on 23 February 2017 at 68,444 km, when it passed with only one advisory regarding tape beam adaptors on the headlights. The wheels are shod in matching Uniroyal tyres with ample tread, though they would benefit from renewal of the basis of age.

Accompanying the car is a small amount of paperwork covering the car’s time in the UK, as well as documentation relating to the car’s previous Italian title, and some great records of the previous ‘Revisione’ roadworthiness tests dating back to the 1980s.

This Mercedes-Benz 250 CE is a charming example of the W114-generation model, which offers a superb combination of refinement, elegance, and impressive build quality. A comfortable classic cruiser that is reported to be in excellent mechanical condition; it should prove to be a reliable coupe to use on warm weekends, or could even be pressed into service as a chic daily driver.

The description of this auction lot is, to the best of the seller's knowledge, accurate and not misleading. Collecting Cars requests a range of detail about the lot from the seller, and performs a level of due diligence. However, bidders must satisfy themselves as to the accuracy of the description, and conduct any research they feel is necessary before committing to a bid. Please see our Terms and Conditions for full details.

All UK-registered cars and motorbikes on Collecting Cars are run through an online HPI check. This vehicle shows no insurance database markers for damage or theft, and has no finance owing.