The W140-chassis offered by Mercedes-Benz in both coupe and sedan form represents one of the company’s high watermarks of the last three decades. However, vehicles from this era are generally not sought after due to the cost to maintain and the lack of quality examples found on the marketplace. However, one might surmise that a savvy collector would begin snatching up decent drivers when they do appear for sale given the historic trajectory of Mercedes’ flagship vehicles. Check out this 1994 Mercedes-Benz S500 coupe listed here on eBay.
There are no bids at the moment, with an opening number of just $4,000 and a Buy-It-Now of $7,500. The S-Class of the early 90s represented a major overhaul of the company’s flagship line, and both the coupe and sedan were considered quantum leaps forward in terms of engineering and technology over the outgoing W126 class. The only issue with this is that the car was costly to maintain when it was new, to say nothing of its upkeep after a few penny-pinching owners – leaving relatively few “good” cars available for sale.
The seller’s car is the one to buy, as the V12 was simply too complex for reasonable rescue if you buy one with needs, and even one in fine shape may become an unreasonable financial burden in short order. My longtime mechanic in Rhode Island eventually washed his hands of V12 W14o coupe that was in striking condition but likely had a break in the wiring harness causing an unpredictable electrical issue that proved impossible to resolve. The trouble with these cars these days is very few owners are committed to servicing them the right way, making it difficult to find a good car worth investing in. Two details I love about the C140? Pillarless design and four actual bucket seats.
With a durable V8 under the hood and a design that still looks modern by today’s standards, the S500 shown here is a car that will likely prove to be collectible in the coming years. They have been ignored for far too long due to image issues, so once you ascertain that the car you’re looking at isn’t a total frightpig, I’d feel good about moving forward with a potential purchase. The seller’s car will come equipped with a set of Lorinser D93 wheels, which is about as period-correct as it gets for a wheel upgrade on a car like this.
The mechanical gremlins not withstanding, this has to be one of the best looking designs Mercedes has ever put out on the road. Beautiful.
I’m mixed on the C140 cars. Like the sedans unless they are low mileage cream puffs they are likely not to become collectible due to the complexity of design. Personally I don’t think they are that complex when compared to a modern Mercedes but the market thinks otherwise. This is great for owners like me to have a 92 400SE or a R129 convertible. Incredible value for the dollar. What has become a collectible is the C126 coupe like my 86 550SEC but even those if you find a good one with 100K+ on the clock they can be had for reasonable money.
If you would like to own a W140 or C140 you are best to get a 96 and newer car with the 5 speed 722.6 transmission and the newer fuel injection that does away with the troublesome ignition caps, rotors, dust shields that cost $500+ every few years. Better fuel mileage to boot.
The carfax shows an odo read of 210k miles in 2015. Then it shows 162k in 2021. Which makes me think that the real mileage on the odo is 262k. The devil is always in the details. None the less it’s a nice car at $4000. Just not at $7500 imo.
I had one of these in black, with grey leather, and same AMG steamroller rims. I bought it cheap, as-is, with “electrical issues”. These cars were infamous for electrical problems mainly caused by the Mercedes “biodegradable” wiring. When exposed to heat, it degraded….. with insulation cracking, and falling off. If you don’t like working on electrics, and replacing wiring, these cars are not for you. I actually enjoy this type of work, and rewired it in a week or two. They are also pre OBD2, so you will need the MB factory OBD plugs ,and programs to work on it. BTW, each module must be scanned separately: one at a time. I really liked the car, with the double-thick side windows, lots of leg-room , and killer stereo. I eventually traded it in on a nearly-new C5 convertible.
I started as a dealer MB mechanic in 1968. The W140 was a big whale that resulted in record buybacks for Mercedes. Our shop one week had nothing but 140s at one time for evaporator replacements. 8 mechanics working on nothing else. The MB cut the flat rate. Give me a 126 or 123 or even a 124 or 210 any day. 140s caused more than a few of us to say the hell with it and leave. Then it got worse after 2000.
I had a 126, great car. A 1976 420SEL.
I had a 126, great car. A 1986 420SEL.
Dennis, I’ve posted before about the 2000 S430 that I bought from my brother 11 years ago. It had 217,000 miles on it when I bought it and now has 295,060. I’ve been a car guy for over 60 years, owned probably more than 100 vehicles – of all different brands – and can safely say that this is the best one I’ve ever owned. It still does everything it was designed to do, uses no oil and has absolutely no squeaks or rattles. For a guy who would have never selected a Mercedes Benz (bought it mainly because my brother owned it and is extremely picky), I hit the jackpot.
The E-Class (W124) were far better cars to own. More reliable, less expensive to repair, lighter, coil springs instead of air suspension, just simpler. Those 20-inch wheels should go, too; they’ll give you a very harsh ride.
Are we to assume that this car runs, or is drivable? The Ebay listing certainly doesn’t provide any such information… In fact, the listing provides virtually NO information. (Other than the aforementioned odometer shenanigans…if you dig through the carfax report…) Best thing to do in a situation like this?… Assume the worst and keep looking!