I might have known the first owner of this car.
1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SE Cabriolet
This 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SE cabriolet is finished in red over Cognac leather and was purchased new in 1968 from Coggins Motor Company of Charlottesville, Virginia. Acquired by the seller in 2013, the car is powered by a fuel-injected 2.8L inline-six paired with a floor-shifted automatic transmission. Equipment includes a Kuhlmeister air conditioning system, power windows, power steering, a Becker Europa radio, and a power antenna. The interior was re-trimmed in June 2019, and $21k+ of mechanical work in 2016 included resealing the transmission, refreshing the cooling system, installing a rebuilt steering box, and servicing the ignition system. Various gaskets, seals, and mounts were also replaced as outlined in the listing below. This W111 cabriolet is now offered with an owners manual, stamped service booklet, copy of the factory data card, the original data plate, recent service records, and a clean California title in the sellers name.
{snip}
Included in the sale are an owners manual, the original metal data plate, and a service booklet showing stamps in Charlottesville, Virginia up through 1980. Also included is a bill of lading for the cars original shipment to the Charlottesville dealer from Germany, as well as a collection of manuals and warranty information for the radio, antenna, and air conditioning system.
{snip}
Back in the spring of 1972, I took a course from a fellow who owned a burgundy 280SE. His car was just gorgeous. I see this one was bought new in Charlottesville in 1968. It has service stamps from Charlottesville through 1980. My instructor taught at UVa through 1983. He died in 2011.
I just emailed one of my instructor's colleagues from that era to see what he thinks.