1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet Market Value & Price History
The 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet has a current market value of $279,470 as of Oct 13, 2026, based on 113 verified auction sales tracked by DriveIndex, with half of the verified USD sales since 2001 between $210,000 and $330,000. Based on US sales through Sep 30, 2026. 16 have sold in the past 12 months, and 1 is listed for sale at $100,000. The median sale price is up 9.3% over the past 12 months versus the prior year.
Data: DriveIndex. 113 verified auction sales for the 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet (103 in USD, the basis for every dollar figure here), latest sale Sep 30, 2026. Value as of Oct 13, 2026. Methodology
What members see for the 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet
The value above is the headline. Members get the full picture behind it.
- All 113 sold prices, and where each one sold
- The live Value Signal, and how confident it is
- A 1–5 year value projection
- A Buy / Hold / Sell call
- An alert the moment one lists or sells
- The best and worst months to buy and sell
- An estimated market-bottom date
- Whether each of the 1 ask listed for sale is fair
- Deal Radar: underpriced listings across the market
Not ready? A free account shows the current value and recent sale dates.
1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet Specifications
✓ Independently verified. We never estimate specs.
The 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet left the factory with 197 hp. 1,232 were built, making it a rare car at auction. It carried an original MSRP of $14,850.
Pro unlocks this car's live Value Signal (appreciating, stable, bottomed, approaching bottom or depreciating) and its 1–5 year projection. Collector adds the best months to buy and sell.
See the 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet's Value Signal with Pro →1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet For Sale (1)
Last checked Oct 12, 2026
1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet Price History
The median 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet sold for $295,500 in 2026, against $137,500 in 2009. Each row is the median of the verified sales recorded in that calendar year, so it moves with the mix of mileages and options that came to market as well as with the market itself.
| Year | Median sale | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $295,500 | 12 |
| 2025 | $302,000 | 15 |
| 2024 | $380,000 | 5 |
| 2023 | $305,000 | 8 |
| 2022 | $317,500 | 8 |
| 2021 | $266,750 | 4 |
| 2020 | $302,500 | 3 |
| 2018 | $280,000 | 3 |
| 2017 | $363,000 | 3 |
| 2015 | $368,500 | 6 |
| 2014 | $258,500 | 6 |
| 2013 | $220,000 | 7 |
| 2012 | $167,750 | 4 |
| 2010 | $143,000 | 3 |
| 2009 | $137,500 | 3 |
Years with fewer than three verified USD sales are omitted — a one-sale “median” is a single car, not a market.
Recent 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet Auction Results
| Sold | Price | Mileage | Gearbox |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 30, 2026 | $240,000 | 8,000 mi | Automatic |
| Aug 31, 2026 | $320,000 | 86,000 mi | Automatic |
| Aug 15, 2026 | $770,000 | 6 mi | Automatic |
| Aug 14, 2026 | $280,000 | — | — |
| Aug 14, 2026 | $207,200 | 55,000 mi | — |
| Aug 13, 2026 | $291,000 | 84,454 mi | — |
| Aug 13, 2026 | $500,000 | — | — |
| Jul 4, 2026 | 635,000 EUR | — | — |
| Jun 30, 2026 | $299,999 | 51,000 mi | Automatic |
| May 31, 2026 | $274,400 | — | Automatic |
| May 3, 2026 | $400,000 | 768 mi | Automatic |
| Feb 27, 2026 | $320,000 | — | — |
| Jan 23, 2026 | $252,000 | — | — |
| Dec 19, 2025 | $315,000 | 94,000 mi | — |
| Dec 11, 2025 | $357,000 | 9,000 mi | — |
Verified results from the world's leading collector-car auction houses and marketplaces.
All Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet auction results →See the full picture on the 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet
Browsing is free. Upgrade to unlock the Value Signal™, projections, and the tools collectors use to buy and sell at the right time.
- Full Value Signal™ + confidence: appreciating, stable, or depreciating
- 1–5 year price projections
- Buy / Hold / Sell call per car
- Complete sales & listings feed + up to 10 yrs of history
- Analyst notes & compare up to 4 cars
- Price & custom alerts (make, color, options)
- Portfolio tracker (garage) + analytics
- Everything in Pro, plus:
- Portfolio Outlook (a hold/sell call for every car you own)
- Watchlist Intelligence (act-now calls on the cars you follow)
- Head-to-Head Verdict (compare cars, the data crowns the buy)
- Market Deal Radar (every live ask under market value, catalog-wide)
- Best & worst months to buy and sell
- What each option adds to the price + separate manual vs automatic values
- Listing analyzer with fair-value deal scores
- Rad’s Market Update (his picks & price targets)
Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet by Year
1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet: Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet worth?
A 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet is worth approximately $279,470 as of Oct 13, 2026, based on 113 verified auction sales tracked by DriveIndex. Based on US sales through Sep 30, 2026. Half of all verified sales fall between $210,000 and $330,000; the full verified range is $48,600 to $770,000. Condition, mileage and options move an individual car within that band.
What are the factory specs of the 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet?
The 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet left the factory with 197 hp. 1,232 were built, making it a rare car at auction. It carried an original MSRP of $14,850. These figures are independently verified. DriveIndex never estimates specs.
How much did a 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet cost new?
The 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet carried an original MSRP of $14,850. Verified examples now trade around $279,470.
How much has the 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet depreciated?
It hasn't depreciated. The 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet is worth about 1782% more than its original MSRP of $14,850, with verified examples now trading around $279,470. That compares today's value with the sticker price, not adjusted for inflation.
How many 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet sell per year?
16 have sold at auction in the past 12 months. DriveIndex has tracked 113 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet sales in total.
Are 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet sale prices higher or lower than a year ago?
The median 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet sale price is up 9.3% over the past 12 months versus the prior year, based on verified auction sales. That figure tracks the median of what actually sold, so it moves with the mix of mileages and options that came to market as well as with the market itself. The full Value Signal classification (appreciating, stable, bottomed, or depreciating) and its 1–5 year projection are part of DriveIndex Pro.
Where can I buy a 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet?
DriveIndex lists 1 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet for sale, priced from $100,000 to $100,000 (last checked Oct 12, 2026). DriveIndex aggregates for-sale listings and auction results from the world's leading collector-car auction houses and marketplaces.
More Mercedes-Benz Models
All Mercedes-Benz models →Collections Featuring Mercedes-Benz
Pro unlocks its live Value Signal, every sold price, a 1–5 year projection and an alert the moment one lists or sells. Collector adds the best months to buy and sell and where the market bottoms.
Get Pro →