1967 Mercedes-Benz 250 S

This magnificent 250S has passed through Bonhams’ portals before, albeit those belonging to our friends in the live auction team, when the car was sold at a Hendon RAF Museum auction in 2007.

Back then, the Bonhams’ auction listing had the following to say of the car.

“This classic ‘stacked headlamp’ Mercedes-Benz 250S saloon was first registered on 26th September 1967 and imported into the UK from Germany in 1996.

A left-hand drive model, the car has four-speed manual transmission with column-mounted shift and is equipped with the optional sunroof. Finished in green with a cream interior, the latter fitted with Becker Grand Prix AM/FM radio, the car has enjoyed four previous owners in the UK and comes with its original instruction manual and service book.

We are advised that the chassis front cross-member was replaced at the last MoT and that the sills and starter motor were renewed by a previous owner.”

Well, since then, the car has had one more owner (the vendor) and, as the eagle-eyed among you will have discerned, it has changed colour – from dark green to silver.

This work took place during a two-year restoration process that began in 2010 and saw the car stripped right back, with countless parts and components restored, refurbished or renewed as appropriate.

As well as addressing the exterior, interior, electrics and mechanicals, the project included rebuilding the engine.

The vendor tells us that the work totalled nearly £40,000 and was carried out primarily by specialists in West Yorkshire.

The car is in very good condition, bar one or two minor cosmetic issues, and is a thoroughly good advertisement for just how and why the W108 ‘S’ Class was, and remains, so highly regarded.

In 2006 the car had 42,328 kms on the odometer.

Today, that figure has crept up to 42,330 kms on the 5-digit odometer.

However, we can see from the German service book that the odometer was reading 50,706 kms in 1972, so it may well be safe to assume that the correct reading is now 142,330 kms.

Well, the outside of this car presents a very handsome vista and is a lasting testament to the elegant, understated, timeless Paul Bracq design.

There are no dinks, dents or creases of any real consequence anywhere that we can see.

The doors close with all the Teutonic weight and precision for which the marque and the model are famed.

The silver paintwork has been applied to a very high standard and has retained plenty of shine and lustre throughout.

The exceptions to all this good news are the rear bumper, where there’s plenty of corrosion in and under the chrome plating, and the boot lid - which has some patches of bubbling around the 250S badging.

We also spotted a sizeable scratch on the boot lid and a slight scuff below the base of the aerial.

The wheels appear to be in very good order, although a couple of the hub caps look as if they’re not quite seated properly. A judicious push or two should fix that.

As for the car’s lights, lenses, badging, trim and other exterior fixtures and fittings, they’re all following the same script as the rest of it in terms of good condition and impressive preservation.

If anything, the interior of this utterly charming car is even better than its exterior counterpart.

Relatively spartan and minimalist by modern standards, the quality of the materials and finish is still better than you’ll find in most modern cars and there’s a real sense than no corners were cut or compromises made when Mercedes-Benz set out their ambitions for this and future ‘S’ Class iterations.

The beige upholstery is in first-rate condition and there’s not much more than a light crease or two evidence, let alone any of the sort of ingrained patina you might expect to find on a car that left the production line in the same year that Jimi Hendrix realeased Purple Haze and Dustin Hoffman began to suspect that Mrs. Robinson’s interest in him was far from innocent.

The seats, front and back, are comfortable, supportive and free of any defects or faults that we can see.

The brown carpets and mats are entirely beyond reproach, too, as is the headlining.

The door cards are excellent, as is the carpeted trim on the parcel shelf and around the door frames.

The wood veneers are broadly good, but there are some nicks and tiny splits to the finish on the glove compartment, and the lacquer on the veneers is delaminating and lifting around the windows.

The controls and dashboard gauges and instruments look to be in very good order and, as far as we and the vendor are aware, everything works as intended.

There’s a thin split in the knee-roll on the driver’s side and one of the brackets on the passenger sun visor has split.

The boot, which contains a full-sized spare wheel, is also in solid, sound condition, although some of the trim at the side has warped and come away.

The engine and engine bay are impressively clean, dry and orderly.

Everything looks to be in its right and proper place.

The same can be said of the car’s undersides, which appear to be possessed of oodles of structural integrity.

They look as if they’ve barely been outside since the restoration – and that’s because they haven’t.

We’ve seen nothing to make us tut, frown or otherwise question the car’s honesty or character.

The vendor tells us that he has used the car very little since buying it in 2007 and believes that it would thank its next owner for being regularly used and enjoyed.

The car has recently had a new battery fitted.

The documents show that this LHD car was living in Germany (mostly in and around Bonn) from new until 1996, when it was imported to the UK.

Its history is very thin up to 2007 when it was bought at auction, although there are a couple of invoices for the work mentioned in the 2007 auction listing.

The work carried out after 2007 - nearly £40,000 of it - is not currently covered by documentation, but if or when any paperwork comes to light we will include it in the documents section.

The car comes with its original, stamped, German service book and manuals, some old MoT certificates, a few German documents, and a recent, clear HPI report.

There’s a reason why this vintage of Mercedes-Benz is so revered.

These cars are over-engineered, built to the hilt, and designed and constructed without compromise or concern for the bottom line.

They make their modern counterparts seem positively flimsy and cheap by comparison.

This one is a little light on history, but we know the vendor and have seen some of his cars before.

One or two pretty minor cosmetic jobs aside, this is a very good example of a car from the golden age of the marque and the ‘S’ Class.

We are happy to offer this vehicle for auction with an estimate in the range of £8,000 - £12,000.

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 ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.