There are numerous vehicles on the market today that are available in wide supply, which tends to indicate two things: one, the manufacturer made a lot of that model, which will always hold down values, and two, you can absolutely be choosy when buying said model. The W116 chassis Mercedes-Benz is a perfect example of this, as there are hundreds of examples for sale at any given time across all the various classifieds platforms. This 1979 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL listed here on eBay is a claimed one-owner example and appears to be in excellent condition.
The seller is representing the car on behalf of the original owners, who undoubtedly are retirees and perhaps paring down their possessions a bit. To have purchased a car like this new in 1979 had to have been a thrill, especially given the 4.5L V8 made this sedan a seriously capable cruiser, even in the wake of the malaise era fall-out. Many of the W116 cars have been driven into the ground and are cheap to buy (but not to restore); however, for a sparkling example such as this, it certainly deserves more than the $11,000 bid price to clear its reserve.
The trouble is with any car produced and sold at a high volume is potential buyers can almost overlook truly special cars. It’s like a C3 Corvette: you get so used to seeing them for sale, it almost doesn’t register when a special one comes up for grabs. This 450SEL shows just under 40,000 miles and it’s readily apparent from the interior, where we see hard-wearing MB-Tex seats in excellent condition along with uncracked wood trim and an original Blaupunkt radio.
The listing notes that the 450SEL runs quite well and that potential buyers should feel confident driving it anywhere. The description further notes that it comes with a thick stack of records and other paperwork going back to when the car was new, which isn’t surprising considering the level of care that has gone into preserving its cosmetic condition. If the reserve is below $20,000, this seems like a phenomenal buy if you’ve been on the hunt for a classic V8-powered Mercedes sedan.
That is one special car that was loved by the owner to be kept in such pristine condition. One correction to the write up is this car has leather upholstery as seen from the few creases on the drivers seat and the original invoice. Car needs to go to a collector who can continue to preserve it originally.
It needs to be driven that’s what it is made for.
You can still take care of it, but sticking it away is just wrong.
Absolutely. Continue to drive and enjoy on sunny days. Just don’t use it up like a regular classic.
With a 0 to 60 time of 7.4 and a top speed of nearly 150 mph this amazing classic Mercedes tank was a very fast sports car back in 1979!
Yes, that definitely looks like the upgraded leather interior. Beautiful car in great condition throughout. I hope it goes to a good home that will enjoy it and keep it as well cared for as it obviously has been these last 45 years.
I bought one of these a few years back from the original owner with equally low miles. With so many of these cars seemingly still on the road, I figured the parts would be easy albeit expensive.
The gas gauge was dead when I bought it. Not having a Merc before, who knew it was a major problem. It was the sending unit in the tank. No parts in USA. Even through the Classic Center in California was without help. I happened to be in Germany during my ownership and tried to buy the part there, no support on something this old.
I sold it with the broken gauge
W116 fuel level sending units are all over the internet now. Even NOS OEM ones are available.
I owned FIVE of these wonderful cars over an 18 year period including one silver 1979 exactly like this one . My “daily drivers “ ! Enjoyed each of them . Solid satisfying road cars . Beautiful example !
Nit picking perhaps, but this is NOT “MB-Tex” vinyl seat upholstery. Leather seat upholstery was standard equipment on the USA version 450SEL and 450SLC.
I had a 116 many years ago. Mine was somewhat tired (and rusty) compared to this one. I put a cheap paint job on it, and kept it for about a year. It was a great highway cruiser, but I knew it was going end up needing more than it was worth so I traded it for a K5 Blazer. The dealer wanted a 116, and I wanted the K5 for the coming winter. It turned into a pretty fair deal – we both ended up with money pits. At least I could fix the Blazer fairly cheap….
I eventually traded the K5 for a decent early Series 2 SWB XJ6, in BRG.
If you want a 116, get a low-mile rust-free one like this. The cheap ones are Always the most expensive in the (never-ending) end.
While performance was adequate, if I were to buy another, it would have to be with the 6.9litre engine.
I ran two of these 79’s back in the late 90’s. Its like sitting in your favorite old leather chair cruising down the highway at 90mph,Great for trips,lots of room. Parts were cheap and plentiful at the U-pull yards. My daughter would ask,Why do you put new parts in customers cars and junk yard parts in mommy’s?
the seats are leather, not tex. my brother owned one, bought it in 73. and it had leather, not tex, an option. but with the 79 SEL it was standard.
The ebay images look photo-shopped. Something is “off” with those images. Lighting, proportions, lack of shadows, something
Possibly, but at least it does not appear to be extreme by the standards of what can be done. It would be hard to make a bad car into a well-preserved survivor by photoshop alone, but “Buyer Beware”.
So many cars for sale are badly presented that I usually take a well-presented offer as a positive!