Warning!
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.
This site contains Ebay partner affiliate links, which may earn us a commission at no additional cost to you.
You spend a billion dollars on developing a car, it better be damn good. That’s what Mercedes-Benz was faced with when debuting the W140 S-Class. It had to every bit as good as the legendary W126 it was replacing and more. When it launched in 1991, opinions were mixed. Some say it was the last great over-engineered Mercedes that was built without cost in mind. Others say it wasn’t attractive with it’s body panels that look like slabs. Either way, 25 years later these cars still have me amazed at what it took to get this car — along with all of it’s advancements — into the hands of buyers who were willing to pay over 25% more than the W126 it replaced.
$7,000 doesn’t get you a whole lot of new car these days, but it is surprising just how much old Mercedes it will buy you. In fact that’s the asking price for this W126 S-class. Produced between 1979 and 1991, the W126 represents the pinnacle of Mercedes-Benz design and engineering from the period. Penned by the illustrious Bruno Sacco, it remains an extraordinarily handsome car, with taut lines and stately proportions. I saw one parked on the streets of Washington, DC the other day and literally got off my bike to stop and admire it for a few minutes. These cars are timeless and, even today, look perfectly at home parked in front of an embassy, ready to ferry a diplomat to some high level meeting.
I wasn’t an ordinary kid growing up. While most of my contemporaries were lusting after souped up Hondas and breathed on Volkswagens, I had my eyes on another car: the W126 S-class. Specifically, I was a fan of the 300SE. Ever the practical person, I realized that it might be more feasible to run the lesser engined S-class, with its durable inline-6 and slightly shorter length. This 1988 300SE for sale in Florida looks sharp in its black over saddle combination and is showing only 85,000 miles on the clock. With a low starting bid, I have a feeling this one is going to see a lot of action with bidding.
It’s a testament to their design and engineering that you still see plenty of vintage Mercedes-Benzes on the road today, being used as any normal newer machine would. These cars were ahead of their time in performance and safety with style that has aged gracefully on many models. One of my favorite periods for the classics in the late 1980s, when cars like this 300SE were occupying space on the showroom floor amongst the R107 SLs and newly introduced 190 series sedans. This particular 300SE is a Euro spec model, with slimmer bumpers and flush headlamps that accentuate this car’s styling that blends modern and classic elements.
Over the last couple weeks a bunch of Mercedes-Benz 560SELs with low mileage cropped up, prompting us to feature a few of them. There’s no doubt that these were one of the most loved S class generations of all time. Advanced for their time, they also offered plenty of classic Mercedes style and durability to go along with the package. While I am a big fan of the flagship Benz of the period, I’ve maintained that my choice would be a short wheelbase 300SE, with the 3.0 liter inline six. It won’t win any races, but it’s a smooth engine and with less length, a more manageable drive around town.
