Rare
Among 1978 cars still registered
Rarer than 81% of other 1978 vehicles still registered.
How rare is a 1978 Mercedes-Benz 280?
1978 Mercedes-Benz 280
76
still registered in Oz
Very rare
Rarer than 99% of cars still registered
How rare is yours?Oz rare cars
Rarity here means how many are still registered today — not how many were built.
About 76 Mercedes-Benz 280 vehicles made in 1978 were still registered in Australia on 31 January 2025. Cars made in 1978 are 6.6% of every Mercedes-Benz 280 still registered (about 1,140 across all years). By count, 1978 ranks 2nd of 32 build years for the 280. The busiest year is 1969 (about 78 still registered); 1978 has about 97% as many. That is about 90% more than 1977. On 31 January 2021 there were about 24 — up about 217% since. Rarer than 81% of other 1978 vehicles still registered.
At a glance
Still registered on Aussie roads · BITRE as at 31 Jan 2025
97%
Versus the busiest 280 year
1978 has about 97% as many still registered as 1969 (about 78).
6.6%
Share of this 280 fleet
About 76 of about 1,140 280 vehicles still registered, all years together.
26%
Registered in SA
About 20 of about 76 are registered in SA. State figures come from a separate BITRE table, so they can differ slightly from the national count.
Still registered, year by year: 1978 Mercedes-Benz 280
How many of this exact car were still registered on 31 January each year (2021–2025). Not new sales in those calendar years.
Tap a point for its count.
BITRE snapshots. Later releases can revise earlier years. Pre-2021 figures are not on this chart.
View counts as a table
| Date | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 31 Jan 2021 | About 24 |
| 31 Jan 2022 | About 19 |
| 31 Jan 2023 | About 20 |
| 31 Jan 2024 | About 20 |
| 31 Jan 2025 | About 76 |
1978 Mercedes-Benz 280 vs peak and average years
Above the average manufacture year for this model — tap bars for counts.
1978 280
Peak year (1969)
Average manufacture year
Still registered counts for this model · BITRE as at 31 Jan 2025
280 manufacture years by registered count
Manufacture years for the 280, with your year highlighted. Tap a bar for its count.
You
View counts as a table
| Year made | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 1966 | About 3 |
| 1967 | About 3 |
| 1968 | About 55 |
| 1969 | About 78 |
| 1970 | About 71 |
| 1971 | About 70 |
| 1972 | About 51 |
| 1973 | About 29 |
| 1974 | About 65 |
| 1975 | About 46 |
| 1976 | About 38 |
| 1977 | About 40 |
| 1978 | About 76 |
| 1979 | About 59 |
| 1980 | About 35 |
| 1981 | About 41 |
| 1982 | About 65 |
| 1983 | About 42 |
| 1984 | About 71 |
| 1985 | About 67 |
| 1986 | About 5 |
| 1988 | About 3 |
| 1993 | About 3 |
| 1994 | About 6 |
| 1995 | About 18 |
| 1996 | About 57 |
| 1997 | About 23 |
| 1998 | About 10 |
| 2000 | About 4 |
| 2001 | About 3 |
| 2002 | About 3 |
| 2005 | About 3 |
1978 Mercedes-Benz 280 registrations by state
Where these still-registered vehicles are recorded by state/territory
NSW
VIC
QLD
WA
SA
TAS
ACT
NT
Tap a bar for its count.
View counts as a table
| State | Still registered |
|---|---|
| NSW | About 12 |
| VIC | About 15 |
| QLD | About 14 |
| WA | About 7 |
| SA | About 20 |
| TAS | About 6 |
| ACT | About 3 |
| NT | Not published |
Most common colour: White
Victorian registrations of this model, all years. National colour isn’t published.
Power / fuel
All years of this model.
- PetrolAbout 1,130 registered
- DieselAbout 6 registered
- LPG / AutogasAbout 4 registered
- Other / unknownAbout 6 registered
What a fill might cost· tap to enter your postcode
A typical sedan tank is about 60 L — edit if you know yours.
Estimate only. Nearby pump prices from public fuel-price feeds. Not a valuation.
How likely are you to spot one?
About 184,000 cars
Watch this many cars go by and it’s a 50-50 chance one is a 1978 Mercedes-Benz 280.
Spot a 1978 Mercedes-Benz 280Under 1%
Spot any Mercedes-Benz 280, any yearAbout 3%
A rough guide, based on official registration numbers.
Questions about the 1978 Mercedes-Benz 280
- How does 1978 rank among 280 build years?
- 2nd of 32 build years by count. About 76 still registered in Australia.
- How many 280 vehicles still registered were made in 1978?
- 6.6% — about 76 of about 1,140 across all years.
- How rare is it among all 1978 cars still registered?
- Rarer than 81% of other 1978 vehicles still registered.
- Which manufacture year has the most 280 still registered?
- 1969. The model page has every build year side by side.
- Which states have the most registered?
- SA (About 20); VIC (About 15). State figures come from a separate BITRE table, so they can differ slightly from the national count.
Based on BITRE Road Vehicles Australia, January 2021–2025 (CC BY 3.0 AU; the January 2024 release is CC BY 2.5 AU). Colour: Victorian Department of Transport and Planning, Whole Fleet Vehicle Registration Snapshot by Model, Q4 2024 (CC BY 4.0). Oz rare cars is not affiliated with or endorsed by BITRE, the Australian Government or the Victorian Government. Registration counts are not sales, not a valuation, and not advice. Method