This glorious old Mercedes 280SE has been filled with a 5.4-litre AMG V8

In today’s episode of Cool Old Car Get Shiny New Engine, we find a glorious old Mercedes 280SE restored and rebigulated to the tune of a 5.4-litre modern AMG V8. It’s an American reimagining, administered by the folks over at Retro Designs in North Carolina.

So, on the outside, it’s classic Mercedes W111, which means it’s one of the prettiest luxury cars ever created by human hands. RD has kitted it out in green, fitted bullet wheels, restored all the chrome brightwork, and spent many, many hours making it shine.

On the inside, still Merc, only with added newness via “carefully considered” upgrades like a new sunroof, custom door panels, custom-stitched heated seats, a new carpet, restored wood trim, keyless entry (why?), and a new stereo. There’s classic climate control too.

Further inside, very much AMG, courtesy of the old 5.4-litre V8 and five-speed auto. RD has bolted in a custom wiring harness, motorsport-spec electric system, a new ECU, and a stainless steel exhaust system.

To deal with the unspecified amount of freshly minted AMG horsies (that M113 V8 came in a number of guises), RD has also fitted “fully reworked” suspension, and a brake booster/e-parking brake.

“The 280SE was executed as a no-compromise build, with every material, component, and design decision reflecting the highest level of restoration and automotive modification,” said Retro Designs.

Yes, we’ve seen previous episodes of Cool Old Car Get Shiny New Engine starring an old 280SE with an AMG V8 stuffed inside, but like the best episodes, you can watch them on repeat.