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.
More often than not, the final iteration of vehicle within a production run turns out to be the best. It could be argued this was the case with the Mercedes-Benz W126 S-class. Making its debut in the early 1980s and lasting in production through 1991, there were many technical advancements along the way, with a facelift that streamlined the look in 1986. However, that leaves a bunch of cars from early days of a production run sitting around like unwanted step children, hence the case with this 380SEC for sale in Colorado. I much prefer the updated look and greater power from the later 560SEC, but one look over this grand coupe tells me this is no ordinary SEC, looking perfectly preserved at well over 30 years of age.
While on a business trip to The Netherlands last month, I happened upon a very clean Mercedes-Benz 560SEL parked on the edge of one of the famous canals of Amsterdam. This car, like much of the older metal tooling around this capitol city, was in quite mint condition. The dedication of the Dutch to classic vehicles is quite impressive and warms my heart, as I find little out there on the new car market these days that I’m interested in. The W126 is one of those cars I wished they still produced to this day, as it just has a timeless air about it. I highly doubt that years from now, the last three generations of S-classes will age quite as graceful as this car has. It was one of Bruno Sacco’s best designs, in my opinion. If you missed your chance at a new 560SEL, this example for sale in New Jersey has covered just over 14,000 miles, making it one of the lowest mileage examples on the marque. It comes, however, with a stiff price tag.
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.
Even in the face of an increasing drive towards economy, manufacturers are still battling it out in the horsepower race. Mercedes has been one of those companies leading the charge over the last decade, with some formidable performance entries with forced induction V8 and V12 engines. This tradition started years prior with this car, the 300SEL 6.3. Taking the M100 V8 from the 600 and shoehorning it into the smaller W109 S-class was no small task, but the result was a luxury saloon that could hit 60 mph in just a tick over six seconds. This was remarkable performance for the day, competing favorably with a number of American muscle cars while providing unmatched comfort at the same time. This 300SEL 6.3 for sale in California is a four-owner car, originally purchased by the owner of a Mercedes-Ben franchise in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
While 1990 ushered in a new SL roadster, the S-class sedan and SEC coupe would hang on for another two years before their replacements arrived. Considering all generations of S-class over the last 40 years, the W126/C126 is perhaps one of the most timeless. As with every new generation of Mercedes-Benz, new technologies became available and integrated bumpers eliminated the bad proportions which we saw during the crash bumper era of the 1970s. Toward the end, these cars were still a formidable opponent in the luxury class war, standing up in performance and luxury even against some new competition from Japan. This 560SEC for sale in California looks smart in black over palomino livery and has covered less than 80,000 miles in its lifetime.
