1972 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 4.5

• Gallery is padded with an exact duplicate: the front view appears twice in the sampled photos — it proves nothing twice and costs nothing.
• White paint is glossy and straight on all four sides, with the 280SE and 4.5 badges in place at the rear — no repaint bill showing.
• Chrome grille, bumpers and trim are bright and shiny — no rechrome money needed on what is shown.
• Black seats front and rear look excellent, clean and unripped — no need to reupholster.
• Dash and wood are clean and glossy, carpets look fresh — no dash or wood bill visible.
• Engine bay is dusty with corrosion bloom on the valve covers and a dirty washer tank — budget a detail and service, not a rebuild, from what is shown.
• Painted hubcaps have rust specks on the trim rings and there is peeling and rust at a front wheel arch and a sill edge — budget small rust repairs, not just polish.
• Tyres have deep tread in the close wheel shot — no immediate tyre bill shown.
• Last photos show the original radio and speaker covers removed and lying with the manuals and paperwork — budget refitting time, and check the radio works before valuing it.
• Can't judge the underside — no underside photos in the sampled gallery, so floor and sill rust underneath is unproven.

Money: At $20,500 the glossy paint, bright chrome and excellent black cabin support the ask, but chip a little for the arch and sill rust spots and the loose radio until the underside is checked.