How many Mercedes-Benz 280SEL are left in New Zealand?
Super rare 1 in 584,359 on the road Built 1970-1985 Sold new in New Zealand
Updated from the NZTA Motor Vehicle Register, counted as at 31 August 2026. Recounted every month.
L means long: an S-Class with a stretched wheelbase, all the extra going to rear-seat legroom. The 280SEL paired that body with the fuel-injected 2.8-litre six, and was sold in the W108 of the late 1960s, the W116 of the 1970s and the W126 of the early 1980s. It was the chauffeur's Mercedes for owners who did not need a V8.
Still on the road, by model year
The most are from 1978: 2 still registered. Every year is listed under the chart.
Every model year
| Model year | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 1970 | 1 |
| 1972 | 1 |
| 1978 | 2 |
| 1979 | 2 |
| 1981 | 1 |
| 1985 | 1 |
What Super rare means
Spotto grades every car by how many are still registered in New Zealand. With 8 still registered, the Mercedes-Benz 280SEL is Super rare: the grade for cars with 5 to 24 left.
By how many are left it ranks equal 87th of the 102 Mercedes-Benz models and equal 2,076th 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.