The W126 generation S-class is stately and sublime, hailing from an era in which Mercedes built their cars to standard rather than cost. These cars offer graceful and classic MB styling, tank-like solidity and a relaxing and comfortable driving experience. The good news for anyone looking to pick one up today is that there’s a car out there to suit every budget. You can find everything from two grand hoopties to $20k+ museum pieces. While the 560SEL, the unadulterated, full-cream model, might be the most obvious choice for those looking for an 80s German luxury car, I’m often tempted by the more humble 300SE. The short wheelbase model is arguably prettier and better proportioned than the SEL, and the six cylinder engine in the 300 is cheaper to run and maintain than the V8s in the larger models.
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We have 15 years of archives. Links older than a year may have been updated to point to similar cars available to bid on eBay.Tag: W126
I’ve posted a number of W126 sedans over the past few weeks, making no secret of my love for the 80s era S-class. But no less desirable, in my view, is the two-door variant based on the same platform, the C126. These cars offered all the luxury and advanced (for the time) safety features of the sedans, not to mention their elegant and timeless styling, but with the added panache of a sexy, low-slung, pillar-less coupe. As with their four door counterparts, used prices for these cars are a little all over the map these days. This ’90 560SEC is a middle of the market example that appears to be in turn-key condition.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1990 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC on Boston Craigslist
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The Mercedes-Benz 560SEL was the definitive über sedan for more than a decade beginning in the early 1980s. They weren’t particularly eye-catching or glitzy but had a refined, tasteful appearance in a way only a classic Mercedes-Benz could pull off. With a rear seat that was almost five feet wide, passengers were treated to the utmost comfort and the driver had adequate power at his disposal with the M117 V8 under the hood. Want to look like a diplomat for a day? This 1987 560SEL in Desert Taupe for sale in Illinois is a good way to do just that. For those thinking a classic S-class in good condition with low miles is out of reach, read on.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL on eBay
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When the W126 S-class first appeared in the US in the early 80s, the most powerful gasoline model available, the 380SEL, proved a bit of a disappointment. The 3.8 liter V8 engine produced a relatively paltry 155 hp, prompting wealthy American buyers to go to the trouble of importing the more powerful 500SEL from Europe. These cars, initially unavailable in the US, were powered by a 5.0 liter V8 which produced a much more respectable 240 hp. In fact, the gray market demand for the 500SEL turned out to be so strong that ultimately Mercedes-Benz of North America relented, and began officially bringing them to the US from 1984-85 (in 1986 they were phased out in favor of the 560SEL). Still, Euro 500s remained an attractive proposition: making roughly about the same power as the US 560s, they had slimmer bumpers and more attractive glass headlights. That may explain why this ’86 Euro-spec model was imported to the US in 1987, by a high-level German banker no less.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1986 Mercedes-Benz 500SEL on eBay
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Unless you buy a new car, you seem to always take some risk as to how a car has been treated, what kind of maintenance it has had and most importantly what kind of service it’s going to give you once you take ownership. Sometimes these risks are small but a lot of times, especially in the case of used German cars, it is a lot of risk if you are spending more than a few thousand dollars. Even with dealer maintained cars, technicians sometimes rush through jobs or lack the attention to detail just to get the car off their rack and move on to else to keep those hours moving. Today’s car has a seller that puts that risk at the very low end of the scale when buying a 26 year-old expensive German car. Enter Kent Bergsma:
