If you were a captain of industry in the 1980s and early-1990s, you may have either had a 1990 Mercedes-Benz 560 SEL or you wanted one. This beautiful uber-luxury flagship can be found here on eBay in Woodland Hills, California. There is no reserve, a current bid price of $6,100, and only a day left to get your bids in and line up a flight to California – you’ll want to drive this car home.
I remember reading Motor Trend and other magazines in that era and they were enamored by the back seat comfort and pretty much everything else. As a junior grade captain of industry, I could only afford a 300E but I really wanted a 560 SEL and I still do. How about those headlight wipers! I remember being on the road with my 300E once and being caught in a hailstorm and of all the odd things to happen, the hail cracked the driver’s side plastic cover next to the headlight. Thankfully it didn’t mess up the headlight wipers, what a cool and odd feature.
The W126 S-Class model names were based on the engine size, as you most likely already know. And, SEL stands for long wheelbase, so this is the car to have: it has the longest wheelbase and therefore the most interior room for passengers, and it has the biggest engine. What’s not to like? Hagerty is at $12,100 for a #3 good condition car which this certainly appears to be. This could be an absolute bargain.
As with any complicated luxury car, there are a lot of functions and features, all of which can go out due to age or neglect or any number of reasons. But, then again, that backseat is a thing of wonder and beauty, according to more than a few reviewers and owners. This car has both heated and power rear seats, unlike my old 300E. I guess that’s what you get for buying what probably amounted to a taxi compared to a limo.
This 560 SEL has only been driven around 10,000 miles in the last 20 years, according to the seller. They say that it may need a tune-up given the few miles that it’s been driven the last two decades. The engine is a Daimler-Benz M117 5.6L overhead-cam V8 which had 238 hp. For a 4,200-pound car that isn’t a lot compared to a modern luxury car and an 8-second 0-60 time isn’t anything to brag about in 2020 as far as being quick off the line. But, if you’re looking for a supremely comfortable car for not much money you can’t go wrong here. Have any of you owned a Mercedes of this era? How about a 560 SEL?
I just bought a 87 560SEL with a 150K for its engine to swap into my 76 450SLC. Paid $1500 for it. Drives so nice I’m going to enjoy it till the fall. Windows are electric not vacuum. It is the last model MB built with that quality you can’t buy today. Just like the 88 e28 535i I used to own.
My bad, alphasud. I read that but misread the year, my apologies. Fixed it.
I’ve always had a soft spot for these. Quik trivia question, what movie had a character who drove one of these with the personalised license plate , Roman 1?
The great out doors
That would be Dan Ackroyd in the late, great John Candy movie “The Great Outdoors” still good for a laugh today.
Great movie and like this car, a real classic! What ever happened to the twins?
I don’t think this is a “W125” but a W126 chassis.
You’re right, Brigham, thanks for catching that. My apologies for the typo.
Scotty, you’re always a professional and a gentleman. Great article from you, as always.
I’ve owned a number of these over the years. Great road trip cars – cruise well over the limit all day long in comfort. However maintenace history is key to a purchase. Delayed maintenance can cost many thousands of dollars. Rar suspension repairs are one of the key areas as well as the usual tensioners, etc.
When I was much younger I had a 1990 Mustang GT (circa 1992), and ran into a buddy that had inherited his dads W126 Mercedes from his deceased father. Of course I couldn’t afford the Benz, but I jokingly suggested a trade, and to my surprise, he took me up on the offer. Growing up in a modest size town in North Dakota, nobody had anything exotic. Only a few were around town. I sure did get looks as a young guy tooling around town in a big S class. I believe some folks wondered what exactly I did for a living, if you catch my drift. My employment was all honest, of course. I remember how tight the body structure was on the 126 body and just how solid and thoroughly engineered the entire vehicle was compared to almost anything else on the market in the late 80s/early 90s.
Another interesting bit of trivia I found was that while reading the owners manual the break in instructions included the advice to “avoid running flat out” during the break in period, suggesting that after broken in, running flat out was ok! Ahh the Germans. Still miss that car.
don’t forget the timing chain folks. That can spoil all the fun.
at around 200 000 K’s or 125 000 miles the timing chain (and I always recommend all part you can reach from the top) needs changing.
The timing chain is very long in these and a bid of a stretch on each link adds up. In the end the tensioner is at the end and on one accelerating event the chain jumps the cam gear and the valves hit the pistons usually on 1 bank. Changing everything when the engine is out. You get another 125000 miles with the proper chain. if you change the chain only and run the new chain on all the old sprockets you get about 40 000 miles max. I change the cam gears as well then that gives you about 80 000 miles. Also important to change the chain guides as the plastic deteriorates, gets brittle and breaks which is another source for the chain to jump. one moment you have an engine runs as sweet as and in a split second you have a wreck. That is on all V8’s M116 and M117.
Don’t forget the timing chain folks. That can spoil all the fun.
at around 200 000 K’s or 125 000 miles the chain (and all part you can reach from the top) need replacing
The chain is very long in these and a bid of a stretch on each link adds up. In the end the tensioner is at the end the chain jumps the cam gear and the valves hit the pistons usually on 1 bank. Changing everything when the engine is out. you get another 125000 miles with the proper chain. If you change the chain only and run the new chain on all the old sprockets you get about 40 000 miles max. I change the cam gears as well then that gives you about 80 000 miles. Importantly change the chain guides too as the plastic gets brittle and breaks which is another source for the chain to jump. One moment you have an engine runs as sweet as and in a split second you have a wreck. That is on all V8’s M116 and M117.
Here, in europe, these cars had 300hp. It was bretty fast limo.