Just call me “Mr. Big”! Stylish, classy, big, and fast is one way to describe this 1995 Mercedes S600 “Sonderklasse” as it’s known in Germany. This 79 K-mile coupe’s listing is, unfortunately, very light on detail, so we’ll have to let the images do most of the talkin’. Staten Island, New York, is where you’ll find this magnificent Benz, and it’s available here on craigslist for $17,999. Thanks are due to Mitchell G. for this tip!
Research indicates that the “Special Class” (S) series Mercedes debuted in 1954, but the actual S designation wasn’t employed until 1972. Our subject car is built upon what’s known as a “C140″ platform (W140 for the four-door sedan) and was in production between 1991 and 1998, with the combined C140/W140 production total exceeding 400K units. While full-size by German standards, this S600 with its 115.9″ wheelbase and 199.4” overall length would place it in a D-segment or midsize domestic category. The weight, however, is another matter as this Benz tips the scale at 4,700 lbs. The seller considers this car to be in “great condition,” and from what the images reveal, I would have to agree. The finish is uniform, and there’s no indication of parking lot friction or road rash, other than some minor damage below the trunk lid lock cylinder. Typical for a Mercedes of this era, its understated visuals say a lot by saying little.
The heart of the beast is a 389 net HP, 6.0-liter V12 engine married to a five-speed automatic gearbox. Nothing is said regarding this car’s operating prowess, so an inquiry would need to be made to learn more. The bit of research that I could dig up indicates that these V12 engines are maintenance-intensive and complicated, but I couldn’t surface anything more telling than that. I’d be interested to know what our informed readership thinks of this substantial powerplant.
The gray leather-clad interior is Germanic in an all-business sort of way – typical for M-B vehicles, especially the higher echelon models. The interior, in general, appears to have been gently used, and there’s no indication of sloppy use or a mishap like leaving the moon roof open during a storm. The high-quality condition continues through the carpet, door panels, console lid, and dashpad. And, best of all…this S600 comes equipped with an official 1995 era Mercedes cellphone…
I’d put this S 600 in a way-cool category, but, and there’s always a but, I’d be concerned about general operating expense. If it looks expensive, it usually is, and sometimes it’s in ways one would never imagine. Still, this car’s intriguing, and I know that I’m drawn to large two-door models that generate big power; how about you?
The 1995 S600 still used the 4-speed auto. Also the 95 models suffered from the biodegradable wiring for the twin LH fuel injection. Parts are NLA and finding an updated harness is the proverbial needle in the haystack. Also the C140 is just not that attractive when compared to its 4-door brother or the previous C126 SEC which IMHO is the one to buy. Take at least 10K off the asking price and be prepared to spend another 5K easily to bring her back.
Mercedes-Benz models produced between 1992 and 1996 are known to have had issues with biodegradable wiring harness insulation. This insulation became brittle and crumbled, leading to electrical problems. Specific models affected include the W140 S-Class, W124 E-Class, R129 SL-Class, and W202 C-Class, particularly those with electronic fuel injection.
The number of SL600s I see with a minor problem is crazy when I know they are mechanically totaled because of the wiring harnesses and how expensive it is to fix. There are some great youtube videos of people getting stuck with that. I am not sure if this big boy would be easier to deal with as I expect it has a bit more space to work with but beware.
Must extend up thru at least 2003 on some models. My Sprinter van wiring falls apart by just looking at it. The headlights stopped working one night due to a spot of insulation falling apart inside the headlight itself & shorting everything out. SEVERELY aggravating to say the least. Electrical problems & random body corrosion have been the biggest nemesis of this otherwise reliable & extremely efficient truck.
Unfortunately, I’d be extremely skeered of this one. The V12 is complex & certainly not cheap to repair. When they run right, not much compares. When they don’t, in typical German car fashion, break out the wallet & eye sweat.
Very cool! Low rear suspension/Staten Island…couple bodies in the trunk? One of my customers, from when I was in banking, had a V12 4dr 600…quite the ride as a passenger. One of our local import shops, several years ago, had a 600 V12 coupe in for some under dash AC work…$6,000…parts and pieces everywhere. I was in the shop with my son’s VW Jetta vr6 for relatively painful $1,500 repair.
The first 300S appeared in 1951, two built that year and 113 in 1952. The “S” designation was applied variously thereafter (“super” in the sense of upper-range model) and it was the term “S-Class” which was introduced in 1972 with the release of the W116. A quirk of the C140s was the range spanned the period when the convention for the factory’s alpha-numeric model designations changed and the CL badge was introduced for the big coupes so the V12 C140s were sold variously as 600 SEC, S 600 & CL 600.
1992 600 SEC (Not sold in North America)
1993 600 SEC (Global)
1994-1995 S 600 (Global)
1996-1997 S 600 (North America) & CL 600 (RoW (rest of the world))
1998 CL 600 (Global)
1999 CL 600 (North America only)
The M120 V12 remains highly regarded and the early ones (402 HP, 1991-1992) have a cult following because they were tuned for top-end power. The later versions were rated at 389 HP with a more usable spread of mid-range torque.
Almost 20 years ago, while searching for a C126, I stumbled on a fairly decent (looking) black ’95 C140 for a very low price. It had major electrical issues related to the biodegradable wiring, and the owner was desperate to dump it. I enjoy working on auto-electrics, and had good connections with a MB parts specialist. A deal was done. I painstakingly repaired the wiring harness, one wire at a time. Replacing, patching, and sleeving some with shrink-wrap. A specialist friend repaired the fried cluster, and I ended up with a very nice driver for less than $10. It had a great factory stereo, and the double-thick side windows gave it a “bank vault” feel. I put a set of AMG “steamroller” wheels on it, and enjoyed for a couple of years before trading it in on a nearly new Corvette. While I did like the car, I still prefer the look of the C126.
gimmie da i6:
SL 280; SL320
(S or DOHC,
M103’n 4 or “R129”)