How many Mercedes-Benz 280S are left in New Zealand?
Rare 1 in 70,831 on the road Built 1968-1985 Sold new in New Zealand
Updated from the NZTA Motor Vehicle Register, counted as at 31 August 2026. Recounted every month.
With a carburettor-fed 2.8-litre six, the 280S sat at the foot of the S-Class range across three generations: the upright W108 from 1968, the W116 of the 1970s, which was the first car officially called S-Class, and the smoother W126 from 1979. Less power than the injected 280SE, but the same big, solid car.
Still on the road, by model year
The most are from 1972: 10 still registered. Every year is listed under the chart.
Every model year
| Model year | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 1968 | 7 |
| 1969 | 2 |
| 1970 | 5 |
| 1971 | 7 |
| 1972 | 10 |
| 1973 | 4 |
| 1974 | 5 |
| 1975 | 3 |
| 1976 | 5 |
| 1977 | 4 |
| 1978 | 2 |
| 1979 | 4 |
| 1980 | 2 |
| 1981 | 3 |
| 1982 | 2 |
| 1985 | 1 |
What Rare means
Spotto grades every car by how many are still registered in New Zealand. With 66 still registered, the Mercedes-Benz 280S is Rare: the grade for cars with 25 to 174 left.
By how many are left it ranks 52nd of the 102 Mercedes-Benz models and equal 1,210th of all 2,903 cars in Spotto's catalogue.
The six grades: Common, 8,000 or more · Uncommon, 1,200 to 7,999 · Scarce, 175 to 1,199 · Rare, 25 to 174 · Super rare, 5 to 24 · Unicorn, fewer than 5.
Seen one?
Spotto grades every car on New Zealand roads by how many are still registered, down to the generation and the badge. Log the ones you spot, build a collection, and see who else has found one.