Rare
Among 1981 cars still registered
Rarer than 84% of other 1981 vehicles still registered.
How rare is a 1981 Mercedes-Benz 280?
1981 Mercedes-Benz 280
41
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 41 Mercedes-Benz 280 vehicles made in 1981 were still registered in Australia on 31 January 2025. Cars made in 1981 are 3.6% of every Mercedes-Benz 280 still registered (about 1,140 across all years). By count, 1981 ranks 15th of 32 build years for the 280. The busiest year is 1969 (about 78 still registered); 1981 has about 53% as many. That is about 17% more than 1980. On 31 January 2021 there were about 20 — up about 105% since. Rarer than 84% of other 1981 vehicles still registered.
At a glance
Still registered on Aussie roads · BITRE as at 31 Jan 2025
53%
Versus the busiest 280 year
1981 has about 53% as many still registered as 1969 (about 78).
3.6%
Share of this 280 fleet
About 41 of about 1,140 280 vehicles still registered, all years together.
32%
Registered in QLD
About 13 of about 41 are registered in QLD. State figures come from a separate BITRE table, so they can differ slightly from the national count.
Still registered, year by year: 1981 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 20 |
| 31 Jan 2022 | About 21 |
| 31 Jan 2023 | About 21 |
| 31 Jan 2024 | About 23 |
| 31 Jan 2025 | About 41 |
1981 Mercedes-Benz 280 vs peak and average years
Above the average manufacture year for this model — tap bars for counts.
1981 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 |
1981 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 4 |
| VIC | About 7 |
| QLD | About 13 |
| WA | About 3 |
| SA | About 12 |
| TAS | Not published |
| ACT | Not published |
| 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 341,000 cars
Watch this many cars go by and it’s a 50-50 chance one is a 1981 Mercedes-Benz 280.
Spot a 1981 Mercedes-Benz 280Under 1%
Spot any Mercedes-Benz 280, any yearAbout 3%
A rough guide, based on official registration numbers.
Questions about the 1981 Mercedes-Benz 280
- How does 1981 rank among 280 build years?
- 15th of 32 build years by count. About 41 still registered in Australia.
- How many 280 vehicles still registered were made in 1981?
- 3.6% — about 41 of about 1,140 across all years.
- How rare is it among all 1981 cars still registered?
- Rarer than 84% of other 1981 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?
- QLD (About 13); SA (About 12). 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