These were beautiful cars, I owned a 1973 280 SE 4.5 in the mid-80's with every conceivable option, including a sunroof and radar detector. The color was burgundy with palomino leather. These cars really needed to be driven long distances. As you mention they are compatible with today's traffic patterns - more so when it comes to acceleration into traffic. I ran premium unleaded gasoline (95 octane). Like your car, the speedometer tended to be over stated... it appears by 10-12 MPH in this case. The engine's degree of torque was amazing - you could almost stop the car by easing off the gas pedal. Today, I would be honestly be afraid to own one and really drive it properly due to the scarcity of replacement part$ and the limited amount of qualified mechanics. This was the era when Mercedes-Benz were "Engineered Like no Other Car in The World".
These were beautiful cars, I owned a 1973 280 SE 4.5 in the mid-80's with every conceivable option, including a sunroof and radar detector. The color was burgundy with palomino leather. These cars really needed to be driven long distances. As you mention they are compatible with today's traffic patterns - more so when it comes to acceleration into traffic. I ran premium unleaded gasoline (95 octane). Like your car, the speedometer tended to be over stated... it appears by 10-12 MPH in this case. The engine's degree of torque was amazing - you could almost stop the car by easing off the gas pedal. Today, I would be honestly be afraid to own one and really drive it properly due to the scarcity of replacement part$ and the limited amount of qualified mechanics. This was the era when Mercedes-Benz were "Engineered Like no Other Car in The World".