Mercedes-Benz 280CE

Please Note This car is no longer for hire.

For the time being this information will be left for anyone looking for information.

The Mercedes is one of those overlooked treasures, superb engineering with a style that makes it stand out from the crowd. Being a pillarless coupe it is just like a convertible but with a partial roof. Lower the four windows (electric of course) and because there is no centre pillar it leaves a wide open space on each side of the car. Press another button to slide the sunroof back and enjoy the ‘air in your hair’ experience.

The Mercedes falls into the new category of ‘modern classic’, strictly speaking and according to the 25 year rule it is a classic. In my opinion this coupe has all the attributes of a modern car and therefore is not a true classic in terms of driving style and equipment but ‘modern classic’ does describe it perfectly. Classic in terms of body style, modern in terms of equipment and driving style.

This lovely car receives many admiring looks I have even had a driver of a modern Mercedes nearly fall out of his car trying to get a better look as I drove past.

I once heard a very apt description of what it is like to drive one of these vehicles‘wafting along with an air of affluence’ describes it perfectly. Driving a modern car is a very rushed affair and is all about keeping the revs up and accelerating away as quickly as possible. The Mercedes on the other hand easily keeps up with modern traffic but in a much more relaxed and sedate manner.

If like me you find it difficult to grow up then great fun can be had using the Mercedes emblem as a gun sight and with a throat generated noise machine gunning the car in front. Best to do it when you are on your own!

This is the first car that we have for hire which is not red!

We were very fortunate to find this particular car on the forecourt at Cleevewood Garage in Bristol. It is finished in metallic ice blue, a fantastic colour for the car and in my opinion one of the best. It would have been nice to have found a red version but I don’t think it is a colour that really suits the style of the Mercedes. It is also rare to find a car with as many options as this Mercedes benefits from, ABS brakes, Air Conditioning and Cruise Control. Another surprise for a car that was first produced in 1978 is separate heater controls for the passenger and driver, an option that all husbands should get for their wives!

Please note the seatbelts are standard, which are inertia reel in the front and inertia reel in the back with a static middle belt.