If Monte-Carlo could be represented in car form; this is it. Forget about that illustrious Formula 1 connection, the Mercedes-Benz 280SL characterises the style, panache and élan of the envious lifestyle we witness on screen. We want one, and can imagine that you do too.
Dream Car Friday: The Mercedes-Benz 280SL
Crafted with a simple yet beautifully drawn shape, this Mercedes presents itself as a timeless artefact to make your mouth water. There is good reason for the land of film stars snapping up so many, as very few cars throughout history command respect without screaming about physical inadequacy or underlining the need to show-off wealth or status. This Mercedes is the king of cool. You admire it and the person within. You don’t hate, as you would a flashy BMW or Lamborghini.
To any Mercedes aficionado the engine won’t appear as anything too opulent, the same unit as found under the hood of the 280SE saloon, but to the rest of us an overhead-cam, fuel-injected unit with aluminium head is rather exotic, and certainly was at the time. It’s a smooth flowing engine too, but it’s no speed machine. It may enjoy frequent rev thrashing but the four-speed automatic is more of a cruiser than it is a slick racing unit, even if the gear changes are as firm and steadfast as any manual.
It may not be as fast off the mark as, say, the Jaguar E-Type but there are still sporting credentials to be found. The handling is suave yet exciting when pushed down a twisting road, leaving you and the Mercedes to work as a team in a gratifying and pleasurable experience the likes of which you won’t find in any modern car. You’ll perhaps waft past your reflection in a window and catch a glimpse of how fluently garbed you look, spreading that grin so far across your face that passers-by will assume you have just undertaken something rather illegal.
The interior is so comfortable and homely that you will have to begrudgingly haul yourself out upon arrival at your destination, an uncouth look outside the Savoy or the casino. The view over the bonnet is authoritative to say the least, sweeping back to the chrome-lined dashboard that hammers home the heritage at your fingertips.
While it’s natural competitors speed off with faster 0-60mph times and higher top speeds, nothing really comes close to the quality and elegance, not to mention the spirit, of the old-school yet undated 280SL.
Audrey Hepburn, John Lennon and Sophia Loren owned one. And that just about says it all. A dream car? Oh boy, you don't know the half of it.
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