1986 Mercedes-Benz 420SEL

I have an itch to buy a W126. Yesterday I test drove a 420SEL that popped up for sale on my local Craigslist (not today’s car – we’ll get to that in a moment). The one I drove was offered at a fair price and when I noticed that it was parked only a few blocks away from my house, I felt obliged to take a look. I had never driven an SEL before. Here are my first impressions: 1. They really are huge. The hood alone seemed to stretch out for miles in front of me. I dreaded to think how far back the trunk extended. “What a nightmare this must be to park in the city,” I thought to myself, as I delicately threaded the car through DC morning traffic. 2. They look glorious in person, even when a bit dinged up, as this one was. 3. When you push down on the throttle you don’t so much surge forward, as waft gently toward the horizon on a magic carpet of dignified torque. Despite being smitten with the car I let it go in the end, concluding that, with snow and ice season just around the corner, I couldn’t justify picking up a RWD, nose-heavy V8 as a daily driver. But I did spend the afternoon gazing wistfully at other 420s for sale on the internet. That’s how I stumbled across this lovely, low mileage example for sale in Florida.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1986 Mercedes-Benz 420SEL on eBay

Year: 1986
Model: 420SEL
Engine: 4.2 liter V8
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Mileage: 36,705 mi
Price: Reserve auction with $18,995 Buy It Now

You are viewing and amazing example of this 1 owner 1986 Mercedes 420 sel sedan. The car has only traveled 36,705 miles from new.
The car spent its entire life in Maryland and was always garaged kept and serviced . The color combo and the miles makes this car a special example of this 126 Mercedes Sedan.

The Color is called Diamond Blue and its Amazing. very glossy and show’s very well. No scratches or clear issues or dents. The chrome trim on the car is excellent all around `and there is no fading to any part of the car. The bumpers and side cladding is all excellent with no scratches .

The Interior is excellent as well. The Parchment leather seats are soft and supple and show no wear. They are firm when you sit in them . The carpet is excellent as is the headliner, door panels . The dash is crack free and excellent. The wood is very glossy and looks like new.

The Under carriage of the car is spotless as well. There is nothing rusty at all. Car was always garage kept and never seen Snow.

Inside the car you will find everything to be working properly. The Climate control switches from heat to Ice cold Ac. The power window’s all work as does the power sunroof. The original becker radio with cassette works flawless as does the power antenna. The cruise control works as well and finishes off the luxury of this beautiful car.

Mechanically she is a Gem. I just serviced the entire car and it needs nothing. Here is what I did. 4 new brake rotors and pads. New Tires , New Condenser for the Ac. The Ac was converted to R 134 and is all in perfect order now. I changed the oil . New filter and also the Air filter.
When you start the car is runs very smooth and quiet. The engine compartment is spotless and truly shows’s its low mile state. The hood pad is new and there are no leaks. Driving this car makes you feel really good. The Color combo is so Bright and lively it makes you feel happy and in control. The car has great power and the suspension is very tight as well. The transmission shifts very smooth as well.

In the trunk you will find the Original spare that’s never been used as the Original tool kit. Medical kit is complete as well.

I have sold many 126 Mercedes sedans in my Life. Most consider this one of the best cars Mercedes every made. This 420 sel will last the new owner a life time and it truly is ready to be enjoyed and again Rare being Diamond blue over parchment. I am pricing this car to sell. Someone will get an amazing car . I have seen them sell for in the mid 20’s with these miles. Click the buy it now I can assure this amazing car will not last long.

Please call me with any questions . Steve 954-464-3515
I have clear title in Original owners name. 2 keys , books and the service history is available from the Mercedes independent that serviced the car for them.

What really makes this car stand out is the gorgeous Diamond Blue paint and the incredibly low 36k miles on the odometer. (I do wonder where this seller gets his cars from: I wrote up an unusually specified, low mileage ’86 500SEL that he offered for sale back in September.) The condition of the car looks to be top-notch, both inside and out. It looks practically brand new in fact, with only a couple of minor blemishes apparent – a little curb rash, and also maybe something iffy going on behind the door handles (where the chrome appears to be coming off?). Exterior panels look straight and true, the interior appears excellently preserved and the paint looks super fresh. This blue shines up really nicely – I had a W201 in the same color, and it looked remarkable after a good detail.

As lovely as this car looks, I’ve seen low-mileage 420s sell for much less than the $19k buy it now price on this one. I suspect the seller will have trouble shifting it for that much. Perhaps somewhere in the $10-12k range would be a bit more reasonable to expect.

An honorable mention goes to this ’91 420SEL, which is the one I test drove yesterday in DC (it’s also listed on eBay here). It’s on sale for a mere $3,500. While it has high mileage and is a little scruffy around the edges – the front and rear bumpers could do with a repaint, and there are a couple of dents in the hood – it appeared to be in excellent mechanical shape. And the seller was an extremely nice man. A typical academic, he had filled the trunk with books. I wondered if he would throw any of them in for the asking price.

– Craig