The 6.9L V8-equipped Mercedes-Benz sedans are among the most desirable factory hot rods ever built. Though they are maintenance hogs, one that runs well is a hoot to drive and a nicely appreciating investment. What we see even more rarely than a basketcase example is a Mercedes limousine with the beefy motor up front. This example here on eBay is the first 450SEL sedan stretched to limousine length with 6.9 power I’ve seen and is listed for just $18K or best offer.

Often, when these vintage stretched Mercedes pop up, they’re equipped with seemingly awful motors for pulling around a fair amount of weight. Jesse wrote up a 1981 W123-chassis limo in January that even came with a diesel under the hood. While reliability would be impressive, passing power would not. The 6.9 shows well, with a seemingly laser-straight body, correct badges and muffler, classic Mercedes Bundt wheels and tinted windows for the passenger compartments.

The Mercedes doesn’t appear to be over-restored; then again, the seller doesn’t offer much information in general other than to say he is winding down his collection. The seller also mentions how he loans out his vehicles for Hollywood productions, so perhaps this extended 6.9 has been immortalized on the silver screen. Things aren’t exactly ornate inside, but there’s less to break and it is functional in its design, including typical limo touches like the glass divider between the passenger and driver compartments.

The 6.9 had the distinction of being the largest engine installed in any non-American production car since WWII. They are not cheap to maintain, and overall mechanical systems were impressively complex for the era in which it was made: pneumatic suspension, anti-lock brakes, advanced HVAC systems, just to start. However, this also tends to mean that 6.9 cars that sit idle come with numerous issues requiring expensive fixes. However, if your shuttle service isn’t getting you to your flight on time, consider buying this 6.9 as your airport coach.