Tag: C140

1996 Mercedes-Benz CL420

  By

The Mercedes-Benz W140 Coupe, or C140, is one of those cars that you might have forgotten about until you see one in the wild or stumble across one for sale. There is good reason for that seeing that Mercedes made a little over 400,000 W140 sedans while only producing 26,000 coupes. You can see that is quite a difference in production numbers and now that the youngest W140 is almost 20 years-old, they are only are getting more rare. Today, I wanted to check out the rarest W140 ever produced, the CL420. Just 2,500 CL420/S420 Coupes were produced from 1994 to 1998 and exactly zero ever made it to America. These Coupes used the 4.2 liter M119 V8 borrowed from the sedan and was the smallest engine choice available in the C140. This 1996 up for sale in Spain is probably one of the most well-preserved CL420s out there despite its 112,000 miles. I just wish I could bring it to America.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1996 Mercedes-Benz CL420 at Classic Driver

Continue reading

1996 Mercedes-Benz S600 Coupe

  By

People are usually pretty hot or cold on the Mercedes-Benz W140 Coupe. They followed up the massively successful and popular W126 Coupe and it’s not that these are bad cars at all, but it’s tough to follow-up something that was so great. I think lots of times people even forget about these cars because you don’t see them all that often. Mercedes made just over 8,500 of the V12-powered 600SEC/S600 Coupe/CL600 for worldwide sale over an eight-year production period so they are relatively rare compared to the V12 sedan that was produced to the tune of 36,000. Today’s car, a 1996 up for sale outside of Detroit, is one of the finest S600 Coupes I’ve seen come up for sale. The price? Well worth the asking in my eyes.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1996 Mercedes-Benz S600 Coupe on Detroit Craigslist

Continue reading

Tuner Tuesday: 1997 Mercedes-Benz CL600 Brabus 7.3S

  By , ,

Last week I checked out a great SL73 AMG which the mad men at AMG took an already hearty 6.0 liter V12 and converted it to a 7.3 liter. Today we have another 7.3 liter 140 chassis, although this one was converted by another tuning house. This 1997 CL600 for sale in Hamburg, Germany was sent to well-known Brabus where it not only underwent the conversion to 7.3 liters, but gained some body work, wheels and giant brakes as well. Because of all this, the price tag steep. But you probably won’t believe how steep it really is.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1997 Mercedes-Benz CL600 Brabus 7.3S on Moblie.de

Continue reading

1995 Mercedes-Benz S500 Coupe

  By

In my opinion, the W140 coupe didn’t age particularity well. That isn’t a huge knock on it because not a lot of cars from the early to mid-90s did age all that well. I think in some angels the C140 looks very handsome, not very offensive. But from other views, mainly the front profile like you see in the photo above, it all looks very odd to me. I totally get why I think it looks this way, you have massive flared fenders up from and a giant rear quarter panel in the back. This is all very good except for the fact that the 16 inch wheels don’t fill out these spaces. The car looks almost top-heavy to me. This of course can be fixed with a proper set of wheels and some suspension modifications. (I still regret not buying that car.) Then again, the main reason you bought this massive coupe is to relax, not worry about bending a $2000 wheel on a minor pothole. You can see the how much I think about this stuff.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1995 Mercedes-Benz S500 Coupe on eBay

Year: 1995
Model: S500
Engine: 5.0 liter V8
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Mileage: 76,500 mi
Price: No Reserve Auction

· Mileage: 76,500 Color: White over gray exterior/Grey leather interior Owners: 5 Clean title and Carfax

· W140 series (last of the “because they could” big cars built by MB). Classic design coupe; rare, less than 15,000 total production from 1992 – 1998. Car spent the first 18 years in California and Florida.

· Legendary 5 liter M119 V8 engine (last engine to win overall at Le Mans for MB): 315 hp at 5600 rpm and 347 ft/lbs of torque at 3900 rpm. 4-speed automatic transmission/no shift problems.

· California/Florida car. No rust!

· Mechanically very sound. Superb driver. All maintenance up to date. ETB and main engine wiring harnesses replaced. Trans fluid changed. Engine partially overhauled at 66,000 miles (due to engine overheating). Engine very strong. No oil usage. Brakes serviced. Many major components have been serviced or replaced. Underside very clean. Michelin tires w/10,000 miles. Oil/filter changed every year before going into storage. Exceptionally clean and well cared for automobile.

· Complete service records starting 2011

· Exterior and interior very clean. Smoke free. Leather in very good condition. No dents or body repair. Original paint very shiny with minimal scratches/nicks. Front fenders and hood repainted (Not due to any accident – Top quality repaint). Carpets in very good shape (minor stains on driver side floor and in trunk). Wood in excellent condition

· All gauges/systems function: windows, door soft close assist, seat belt presenters, rear window shade, rear headrests (beginning clutch grind), rear back up guides, sun roof, air conditioning, radio (serviced OEM), rear window defroster, electronic side and rear view mirrors, rear hydraulic suspension

· Additional areas needing attention: headliner over rear seat is loose (minor flap with windows open, not detached). Rear head rests raise/lower mechanisms will need to be replaced soon; still work but beginning to make gear grinding sounds indicating gears are slipping. Passenger seat head rest not working. Rough idle issue that is not permanent; quick acceleration corrects it. Everything else works! Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or need to know more. Shipping is buyer’s responsibly. Deposit of $500 dollars required within 24 hours of purchase.

Mileage: 76,500. Clean title and Carfax• 4-speed automatic transmission/no shift problems.• California/Florida car. No rust!• Mechanically very sound. All maintenance up to date. Exceptionally clean and well cared for automobile.• Complete service records starting 2011• Exterior and interior very clean. No dents or body repair. Front fenders and hood repainted (Not due to any accident – Top quality repaint). • All gauges/systems function – see exceptions below.• Additional areas needing attention: headliner over rear seat is loose (minor flap with windows open – headliner is not detached). Rear head rests raise/lower mechanisms beginning to grind – clutch slippage. Passenger seat head rest not working. Seat belt presenters not working. Occasional rough idle at startup after 5 – 10 minutes. Eventually stops after hard acceleration. Everything else works!!”

When I first glanced this 1995 S500 Coupe for sale in Illinois, I thought I had a real winner. Very clean both inside and out, lower mileage and coming from a seller who knows how to properly photograph a car when they are selling it. Then I started reading the fine print. Things like ”occasional rough idle at startup” and ”engine partially overhauled at 66,000 miles (due to engine overheating)” started giving me second thoughts. On the inside, more things like seat belt pretensioners not working, headrests either dead or on their way out and a sagging headliner give me pause. It’s not like all of these things are a major deal, but it just tells me maybe this car wasn’t a number one priority to try to keep in exceptional shape. I totally understand though because the majority of people live with issues on their cars and it doesn’t bother them. But to me, these cars are what I’m into and ”occasional rough idles” keep me up at night.

What I’m interested to see is where the bidding ends up. I have no doubt that someone is going to fall in love with this car based on the outstanding photos and start bidding away, issues be damned. Nice C140s are becoming rare very and clean ones like this aren’t popping up as much as they used to. If I had to guess, the $7,500 to 10,000 range wouldn’t shock me because a lot of people have no problem throwing caution to the wind. At the end of the day, I guess whatever kind of risk you can stomach all plays into older car purchases, but I like to play it a little more safe.

– Andrew

1996 Mercedes-Benz S600 Coupe

  By

635794023986583977

After a change in nomenclature in 1994, the Mercedes-Benz S-class coupe would again see a model name change in 1997. Renamed the CL class, this would be the moniker for the large coupe up until this current model year, when it would once again be known as the S-class coupe. Who knows what the rationale behind these name changes might be, but it’s rather remarkable this big two-door has survived throughout the years, facing economic downturns and energy crunches alike. This 1996 S600 Coupe is not for the faint of heart when it comes to running costs, as the brawny 6.0 liter V12 will certainly eat its fair share of gas and oil, along with the additional parts as compared to its lesser V8 sibling. With less than 50,000 miles on the clock, this S600 Coupe for sale in New Jersey would be great for collectors and those looking to impress at the country club forecourt alike.

Click for details: 1996 Mercedes-Benz S600 Coupe on eBay

Continue reading

Feature Listing: 1999 Mercedes-Benz CL500

  By

In many ways, modern executive sedans – especially the top-tier fully loaded examples fit for the Wall Street elite – have become appliances. They ooze of technology, features and exclusivity but to me the designs have all become too similar. On the surface I can tell the difference between the S-Class, the 7-series and the A8, but they’re really birds of a feather with few distinctive differences. In many ways, leveling the playing field between the big three has resulted in a homogeneous market place full of leisure suit wearing, rhinestone-studded Elvis impersonators. Some may be slightly better looking than others, and some may do a great job. But like a Vegas show that’s run its course, would you really want to own one out of the service warranty when the budget conscious construction, mega complicated electrical systems, suspension and drive train items start breaking? ‘Thank you very much!’, but I’d prefer to look to history for a lesson on how to do it right.

I remember well when the W140 Mercedes-Benz launched. It was a big deal back then, because as they have always the S-Class models represented the absolute best engineering available. The W140 externally was an evolution of the W124 design more than an update of the W126 in my eyes, though the visual similarities were no surprise as Bruno Sacco was at the pen of all three. While the design wasn’t revolutionary, it did bring Mercedes into the current trend and in its own way is handsome. The W140 also pioneered many electronic systems into the large executive market, including cutting edge ABS and Anti-Slip technology, Xenon headlights and near silent interiors thanks to glazed windows. While Mercedes-Benz continued to offer a large coupe version of the platform, unlike the previous generation the C140 featured a completely revised body that made the large 2-door imposing and impressive. All of this cost – a lot – as Mercedes-Benz engineers racked up a reported 1 billion dollars of development costs. Luckily they managed to retain the pillarless design – one of the best aspects of the coupe. The C140 came in a few different engine configurations; under the hood of this CL500 was the same M119 that had powered the legendary 500E. With over 320 horsepower on tap, the 4-cam V8 was capable of providing and entertaining drive even in the quite heavy W140. This particular CL500 is from the last year of production for the 140 chassis:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1999 Mercedes-Benz CL500 on eBay

Continue reading

Sonderklasse Pair: 1990 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC vs. 1994 Mercedes-Benz S500

  By ,

Mercedes-Benz just released a new CL coupe and I must say, as compared to many of the new designs coming out of Stuttgart, this was one of my favorite ones as of late. From the rear angle, this is a decent looking big coupe. The AMG version is a bit fussy for my tastes, but the new S-Class Coupe does a pretty good job of carrying on the gracefulness of earlier S class coupes. Rewind a few decades, and it’s possible to enjoy some classic pillarless coupe motoring on a budget. First up is this low mileage 1994 S500 coupe for sale in Florida in classic silver on black leather.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1994 Mercedes-Benz S500 Coupe on eBay

Continue reading

10K Friday Sonder Edition: 280s v. 300SEL v. 560SEC v. S420 v. S600 Coupe v. S430 v. CL500

  By , ,

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:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1975 Mercedes-Benz 280S on eBay

Continue reading

1997 Mercedes-Benz CL600

  By

1Q_800

With the fear of dwindling energy supplies and the race to make our vehicles cleaner, there are some things that are seemingly disappearing from the automotive landscape. There are still a few holdouts in the market, but the manual transmission has been disappearing even in exotic sports cars such as Lamborghini and Porsche as faster, more economical automated manuals and automatic gearboxes have emerged. Engines with more than eight cylinders seem to be a dying breed and small vehicles seem to be rather popular, even in a country like the US where bigger is often better. What then, to make of this Mercedes-Benz CL600 in an era of rightsizing? Even though it isn’t terribly vintage, this large coupe powered by six liters and twelve cylinders seems an anachronism in today’s motoring world.

Click for more details: 1997 Mercedes-Benz CL600 on eBay

Continue reading