Tag Archives: W126

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1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC

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Earlier this week, I checked out one of the nicest W126s I’ve seen in a while with a 1987 560SEL. Today, we have another 1987 560, although this one is the brother car, the SEC. These big body coupes have been shooting up in value of late, but they are still well within reasonable range to grab at a decent price if you wish. Of course, color and condition are the biggest factor in what these sell for, but if you can find one that is well looked after and doesn’t carry a crazy price tag, then it is not a bad way to spend your money. If you are lucky enough to run across an example as nice as this C126 for sale in California, then I wouldn’t sleep on it at all.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC on eBay

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1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL

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When I see the word “concours” being thrown out there when describing a used car, my eyes usually roll over pretty hard. It’s becoming the buzzword for any car that is generally above average in condition, but no where near the level of pulling it on a golf course and having a group of men in floppy hats inspect for dirt under the fuse box lid. Every once in a blue moon, of those cars does actually pop up for sale and it carries an outrageous price. But this 1986 560SEL for sale in Florida not only looks outstanding, but won’t cost you the price of a new S-Class either.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL on Hemmings

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1989 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC AMG Widebody

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2017 marked the 50th anniversary of AMG that was celebrated through the year with various events and press pieces. As a result, lots of AMG cars young and old came out of the woodwork for sale. All of a sudden, a clapped out 1995 C36 with faded paint is a desirable car that people are fighting over. You take the good with the bad and today we have, I think, one of the good. It’s a desirable 1989 560SEC for sale just out of Leeds, England. What started life as your standard W126 coupe was transformed into a 6.0 AMG monster … I think.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1989 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC at Motorhub UK

Year: 1989
Model: 560SEC
Engine: 5.5 liter V8
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Mileage: 16,767 mi
Price: £109,995 ($145,237)

 

******* FACTORY 560SEC AMG 6.0 HAMMER WIDEBODY LHD 1 OF 50 EVER PRODUCED WORLDWIDE *********** Left-hand drive, Metallic Black, Costing in excess of $200k when new, just 50 of a projected run of 100 cars are believed to have been completed pre-merger by the AMG factory. Utilising their own 385 bhp DOHC 6.0 version of MB’s big V8, along with suspension and interior upgrades and the stunning body modifications, AMG created what is, even today, regarded as one the most desirable and easily recognizable factory modified modern Mercedes. , High Spec Includes, Full Black Upgraded AMG Recaro Leather Interior, Wood Capping Including Door Cards, AMG Steering, Amg White Dials, Electric Seats, Heated Seats, Memory Seats, Climate Control, Air Conditioning, CD Player, Cruise Control, Electric Windows, Electric Mirrors, Central Locking, AMG Upgraded Suspension, AMG Sports Exhaust, Full Wide Body BY AMG Factory, AMG Split Rim Alloys, Fresh Imported From Japan From A collector, Japanese Service History, Recently Recommissioned, No Expense Spared,, Very Rare And Collectible Model,, £109,995

This car is a classic AMG Japan creation.…

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1984 Mercedes-Benz 300SD with 11,300 miles

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File this one under another great Mercedes-Benz that you usually see with hundreds of thousands of miles on but for whatever reason has almost none. This 1984 300SD shows a crazy 11,300 miles and looks every bit the part. You can totally see why people plunked down almost $40,000 (over $93,000 in 2017 dollars) for these when they are new. It’s frugal, handsome, secure, has enough to power to get out of its own way and all this won’t cost you a fortune to keep going. Except this car, as you might have guessed, will need a small fortune to take home with you.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1984 Mercedes-Benz 300SD on Mercedes Heritage

Year: 1984
Model: 300SD
Engine: 3.0 liter 5 cylinder
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Mileage: 11,300 miles
Price: $35,000

Single owner SD through 2015.
Rare 904 Midnight Blue with Creme leather.
Spectacular preservation from new.
Spotless engine bay.
Full handbooks.
Runs and drives beautifully.

What is there to say about this car? I overwhelmingly prefer the gen 1 (1981-1985) W126s over the later ones even though they do look a little more dated, but I think that’s the beauty of them. Give me a clean set of 14 inch Bundts with a OM617 and I’m as satisfied as I can possibly be in owning a car. This is a great color combination with the Midnight Blue and tan interior even with those terrible North America spec headlights.

Like I said, all this is going to cost you. $35,000 is a ton of money for any W126 but it’s tough to fault the seller for asking it. The market for clean golden-era Mercedes diesels isn’t slowing down but I wouldn’t bet on this car gaining anymore value once you start driving it. As I’ve said before, miles don’t scare me one bit so I’m really not the guy that this car appeals to.…

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1991 Mercedes-Benz 300SE

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I’ve been living with my W126 300SE for several months now. In that time I’ve clocked up about 1,500 miles and taken the car on a few road trips in the mid-Atlantic region. Apart from a couple of initial hiccups (which I wrote about here), it has been a pleasure to own and a real joy to drive. Comfortable, stately and classically good looking, my friends joke that all it needs is a set of ambassadorial flags on the front bumper. It’s true that the 3.0 liter motor lacks the low-end torque made by the larger V8 models – I have to use the kick-down switch at the bottom of the throttle pedal more often than I did in my smaller W201. But once up to cruising speeds on the highway, the 300 behaves much like the 420 and 560. The six cylinder M103 motor is robust and relatively easy to fix (except for the fuel injection system, which can be a bloody nightmare when it goes wrong). And the proportions of the short-wheelbase exterior are, to my eye at least, just right.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1991 Mercedes-Benz 300SE on eBay

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1990 Mercedes-Benz 500SEL Limousine

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Throughout last week I checked out a few custom creations from coach builders both really interesting and a little odd. I didn’t have plans to continue this streak until I ran across this creation. What we are looking at today is a 1990 Mercedes-Benz 500SEL limousine by Trasco. Trasco is a German company that has been producing both stretched and armored S-Class since the launch of the W126 chassis. To this day they still do conversions on not only the W222 but G-Wagons, 7-series, A8, Land Crusiers/LX as well as some other vehicles you typically see with protection. Of course with the majority of limos built in the 1980s, they reflect the times quiet well. This one is no different.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1990 Mercedes-Benz 500SEL Limousine on Hemmings

Year: 1990
Model: 500SEL
Engine: 5.0 liter V-8
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Mileage: 126,560 km (78,640 mi)
Price: $22,000

1990 Mercedes-Benz 500SEL, 45cm limo by TRASCO

Guessing off the seller’s description, this 500SEL was lengthened by almost 18 inches in the center of the car. This allowed room in the rear seating area for a small television and what looks like a VHS player. But to be honest, this whole car looks like a mess. The exterior of the car is pretty beat up with bumps and bruises everywhere on the bumpers. The rear badges are literally held on by a bunch of different style self-tapping screws drilled straight into the metal. Inside, it doesn’t get much better. The gauge cluster was modified with some of fake stones on the dials and the surrounding area of it looks like it was painted with a coarse paint brush. The privacy curtains are lace of all things and don’t offer much privacy at all. The entire car can be described as filthy as it looks like a good vacuuming wasn’t on the priority list before taking photos of the this poor thing.…

1985 Mercedes-Benz 500SEC

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When I brought home a nautical blue W126 last month, I was pretty chuffed to find a car in such an attractive and unusual color. But ever since then, I’ve been seeing nautical blue Benzes pop up left, right and center. I hadn’t really noticed them before, but it turns out that color code 929 isn’t as rare as I first thought. Still, it is gorgeous, and looks just as nice on the C126 coupe as it does on my W126 sedan. This particular car was spotted by fellow contributor Andrew H. It’s a Euro-spec 500SEC, powered by a version of the 5.0 liter M117 motor unsaddled by US emissions restrictions. That means it should be good for about 250 hp, give or take. Performance won’t be blistering – the SEC is more of a grand tourer than a sports car – but that motor is definitely more potent than the one offered in the US-spec 500 from the same period.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1985 Mercedes-Benz 500SEC on eBay

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1991 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC

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The C126, the coupe based on the W126 S-class, is a firm favorite around here. And for good reason: the lines penned by famed designer Bruno Sacco have aged very well, and these cars still command great road presence even today. With the C126, you get the stately good looks and bank-vault build quality of an S-class, but repackaged into a slinky, pillarless bodyshape. Collectors might want to park their money in ultra low mileage examples. But I think these cars deserve to be driven and enjoyed – they’re wonderful grand tourers, ideal for covering vast distances while keeping the passengers inside cosseted in safety, comfort and style.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1991 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC on eBay

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1985 Mercedes-Benz 380SE

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Now that we are just about done drooling over Craig’s new 300SE, it’s time to take a look at another W126. This 1985 380SE for sale in Kentucky offers up another shade of blue on the S-Class, the darker Nautical Blue Metallic. This one also has two extra cylinders with the M116 3.8 liter V8. Fortunately for everyone, this Gen 1 W126 has been highly cared for and shows only a hair over 45,000 miles. But are you willing to pay the price?

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1985 Mercedes-Benz 380SE on eBay

Model: 380SE
Engine: 3.8 liter V8
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Mileage: 45,100 mi
Price: $8,900

“ONE OWNER! Garage kept Only 45k Original Miles! Owner invested $6400 in upgrades recently…you will NOT find this year and mileage anywhere on the internet. Near perfect condition! Very Very minor paint chips…almost cannot see them. Trunk appears to have never been used. Leather is perfect and the overall interior is pristine. This is a one of a kind car and there is NOT anything like it on the entire internet for this year, make, and model. No fading in paint and the tires are newer. Chrome has no blemishes. Just a beautiful car. Mechanically it runs and drives like new. You will not be disappointed.”

From 1980 to 1985, the 380SE was sold along side the 380SEL, 500SEL and of course the diesel 300SD in the US. In 1984, the M116 in the 380SE/L was upgraded to a dual-row timing chain to fix chain failure issues that the earlier engines suffered from. The dual-row 380SE/L only lasted until 1985 until it was replaced by the 4.2 liter V8 M117 that birthed the 420SE/L that carried on until the end of W126 production. This being a 1985 car, it’s a far more desirable car in the eyes of enthusiasts and anyone who just wants to maintain these cars to go forever.…

Craig finally buys a 300SE, but it’s not all plain sailing …

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As readers will know, I’ve been on the lookout for a 300SE for a while now. In fact, one of the first cars I wrote up for GCFSB was a 300SE, which should tell you something. After a couple of false starts, I finally have a W126 I can call my own.

I found it on Craigslist while looking for cars to write up for the site. It stood out because it was in exactly the spec I’d been looking for. It was a 1989, a Gen II car with the more modern looking leather seats and updated exterior side cladding. It was in a great color combination, nautical blue over mushroom cream leather. And, unusually for a 1989 six cylinder, it was equipped with a passenger side airbag and upgraded Bose sound system, options that are more commonly found on the V8s. It also had only 116k miles on it, and was priced fairly. Unfortunately, it was located in Austin, TX, while I’m in Washington, DC.

After a lengthy back and forth with the seller, apparently an enthusiast who assured me it was in excellent running condition, I decided to buy it sight unseen and have it shipped to me. After a couple of weeks of delays on the shipping company’s end (I went with the cheapest option, and it showed), the car finally arrived. At first I was thrilled. It looked great.

But my excitement soon turned to disappointment as the hauler tried unload it. The car wouldn’t start. To be more precise, the car would start with a puff of black smoke out the back and die immediately. It did eventually start on the fourth or fifth try. It then ran rough for a minute or two, like it was misfiring, then smoothed out. My heart sank.

We eventually got it off the transporter and I gingerly began driving it, uncertain what the problem was.…