Enthusiasts Blogging Our Favorite Classifieds
It’s pretty amazing when generations of cars come together in value; right now, there are 4 generations of Mercedes-Benz S-class models that all seem to hit market for around the same amount. From the beginnings of the “Sonder” Class Mercedes with the W116 through the W220 cars that are only just over a generation old, there’s a tremendous amount of luxury available in these super sedans and coupes. So what would be your choice? We’ll go by age this time, starting with the W116:
Last weekend, we featured a pair of clean 1986 Mercedes-Benz 560SELs that were an instant turn on for any fan of the 1980s and the peak of Mercedes-Benz engineering prowess. If you don’t need the V8 power but want the extra length of the long wheelbase W126, here is a very low mileage 1989 300SEL for sale in New Jersey that is bound to channel your inner executive.
We featured a 1969 300SEL 6.3 back in March, and here comes another mint example for sale in California for the discerning enthusiast. This car has covered just over 50,000 miles from new and has been treated to a recent service. These were luxury saloons ahead of their time in terms of performance and set the tone for generations of performance Mercedes-Benzes to come. This, then, is an Mercedes icon of epic proportions.
Zero to 60mph in 6.3 seconds. The standing quarter mile in 14.6 seconds. Top speed of 142 mph. You’d be right in thinking that I could be describing a luxury car from the present day, but Mercedes-Benz achieved this performance at the end of the 1960s with this car: the 300SEL 6.3. Slotting the M100 V8 from the recently introduced 600 Grösser limousine under the hood of the W109 S-Class created one beast of a sedan, one that could go head to head with muscle cars of the day yet still carry a few well-heeled passengers to the opera after it was done handling its business at a drag strip or stoplight. This 1969 300SEL 6.3 for sale in Michigan was sold through the European Delivery program and is currently on it’s fifth owner, having had a partial restoration back in the 1990s.
Perhaps its nostalgia or living out a dream never fulfilled, but as time marches on, I want to find a way to get into a mint condition W126 S class. An icon of the 1980s, this is a car that is still revered for its balance of classic and modern styling with durability and luxury buyers had come to expect from Mercedes-Benz up to that point. This Midnight Blue 300SEL for sale in New Jersey has to be one of the lowest mileage examples of any W126 I’ve seen in the past few years of writing for GCFSB.