Classic Mercedes-Benz 280TE Given a Sky Blue Interior Makeover

Giancarlo Perlas September 7, 2014

Mercedes-Benz 280TE

On the outside, the classic Mercedes-Benz 280TE pictured above looks very much the same when it came out in the 80’s. No hint of modern upgrades can be seen from its exterior, though the paint-job may have seen some restoring. When you see it on the road, you might not even think of looking twice at it because it is basically nothing out of the ordinary. However, stepping inside it will open you up to a new world.

Zender redesigns a Mercedes-Benz 280TE interior.

Thanks to the German automotive tuner Zender, the interior design of this Mercedes-Benz 280TE was completely reworked. Within the car are seats, panels, steering wheel, and dashboard entirely covered in sky blue alcantara. Almost nothing was spared by the blue fabric, even the lambswool carpet came in a similar color. Only the switches, knobs, gearstick, foot pedals, driver rubber mat, air conditioning unit, speedometer, other indicators and controls, retained their original appearances.

Like Jalopnik pointed out in its article, it’s hard not to think about the Smurfs when looking at the interior of this car. Although it was probably not the intention of Zender to remind us of the small blue humanoid creatures, the color and the furry interior of the car just gives the idea that a smurf might have been the primary ingredient of its fabric. Fortunately, that was not the case.

Going under the hood, the classic car’s AMG inline-six engine has been boosted to 215 hp from its original 180 hp. According to Jalopnik, the car is valued at 30,000 DM.

Overall, kudos to the people at Zender for doing a great job. Despite the smurf references made to their work, the interior was nice. The sky blue color just gives it a very comfy ambient. Then, all the tech they placed in the cabin, highlighted by the Uher 200-watt compact home stereo system, were also very reminiscent of the 80’s, giving its occupants a literal trip down the memory lane.