Very rare
Among 1981 cars still registered
Rarer than 97% of other 1981 vehicles still registered.
How rare is a 1981 Mercedes-Benz 280E?
1981 Mercedes-Benz 280E
14
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 14 Mercedes-Benz 280E vehicles made in 1981 were still registered in Australia on 31 January 2025. Cars made in 1981 are 14% of every Mercedes-Benz 280E still registered (about 100 across all years). By count, 1981 ranks 4th of 6 build years for the 280E. The busiest year is 1984 (about 28 still registered); 1981 has about 50% as many. That is about 367% more than 1980. Rarer than 97% of other 1981 vehicles still registered.
At a glance
Still registered on Aussie roads · BITRE as at 31 Jan 2025
50%
Versus the busiest 280E year
1981 has about 50% as many still registered as 1984 (about 28).
14%
Share of this 280E fleet
About 14 of about 100 280E vehicles still registered, all years together.
29%
Registered in QLD
About 4 of about 14 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 280E
A year-by-year picture isn’t published for this car.
1981 Mercedes-Benz 280E vs peak and average years
Below the average manufacture year for this model — tap bars for counts.
1981 280E
Peak year (1984)
Average manufacture year
Still registered counts for this model · BITRE as at 31 Jan 2025
280E manufacture years by registered count
Manufacture years for the 280E, with your year highlighted. Tap a bar for its count.
You
View counts as a table
| Year made | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 1980 | About 3 |
| 1981 | About 14 |
| 1982 | About 22 |
| 1983 | About 20 |
| 1984 | About 28 |
| 1985 | About 13 |
1981 Mercedes-Benz 280E 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 3 |
| VIC | About 3 |
| QLD | About 4 |
| WA | Not published |
| SA | About 3 |
| TAS | Not published |
| ACT | Not published |
| NT | Not published |
Power / fuel
Fuel mix isn’t published for this car.
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 999,000 cars
Watch this many cars go by and it’s a 50-50 chance one is a 1981 Mercedes-Benz 280E.
Spot a 1981 Mercedes-Benz 280EUnder 1%
Spot any Mercedes-Benz 280E, any yearUnder 1%
A rough guide, based on official registration numbers.
Questions about the 1981 Mercedes-Benz 280E
- How does 1981 rank among 280E build years?
- 4th of 6 build years by count. About 14 still registered in Australia.
- How many 280E vehicles still registered were made in 1981?
- 14% — about 14 of about 100 across all years.
- How rare is it among all 1981 cars still registered?
- Rarer than 97% of other 1981 vehicles still registered.
- Which manufacture year has the most 280E still registered?
- 1984. The model page has every build year side by side.
- Which states have the most registered?
- QLD (About 4); NSW (About 3). 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