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The W140 S-class was a huge step forward, even for a company known for innovation like Mercedes-Benz. Here was a luxury sedan like none other, chock full with all the latest technology at the outset of the 1990s, even offering a brand new V12 engine for those seriously power hungry customers. Its large size drew the ire of some, especially as it debuted in the midst of a global recession. Nevertheless, this car would soldier on throughout the 1990s, being the face of executive transport and embassies everywhere. This 1993 500SEL for sale in Florida is in amazing condition, with just over 78,000 miles on the clock. Even budgeting in money for the inevitable maintenance, this is a lot of car for the money.
The W116 S-class is one of those Mercedes-Benzes that seems to have been a bit forgotten, sandwiched between two great generations of luxury sedans. This is the case with many cars from the 1970s, but consider just how advanced this car was for its time. This would be the first Mercedes to feature four-wheel anti-lock brakes, in addition to the usual safety accouterments that consumers had become used to from this manufacturer. The W126 S-class that debuted at the dawn of the 1980s would carry the executive car torch even further than before, but that isn’t to say the W116 isn’t without its merits. We’ll take a look at this late production 280SE for sale in Portugal, in very nice original condition fitted with the injected 2.8 liter M110 inline-6.
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to attend one of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America’s June Jamboree shows at the Mercedes-Benz Headquarters in Montvale, New Jersey. The car I was driving at the time, a 1998 C230, won a popular choice award, mainly down to condition and originality. Across the parking lot, a car caught my eye that is still haunting me to this day. It was a 1967 250S sedan finished in Arabian Grey with a red MBTex interior. It also had a 4-speed manual gearbox, with floor shift. With the simple dog dish hubcaps over steel wheels, there was something refreshingly honest about this car. This 300SEL 3.5 for sale in Portugal reminds me a lot of that particular Mercedes from years past, albeit this one has the 3.5 liter V8 residing under the bonnet, with leather seating in place of the MBTex.
Mercedes-Benz was the company that basically invented the idea of a super sedan with the 300SEL 6.3 back in the mid 1960s. Interesting, then, that the 300SEL 6.3 was fielded in motor racing by a group of ex-Mercedes engineers who founded the now famous tuning arm, AMG. Fast-forward to the 1980s and AMG was in the business of engine performance, wheels and body kits. The 500SEL was a W126 that was never offered officially in the US market, but a fair amount made their way to these shores through grey market importing. This 1983 example has a good bit of the AMG treatment, from engine modifications to the famous Penta wheels. For a person like myself who grew up in the 1980s, this car brings back a lot of memories of those posters I’d have on my bedroom wall of all the wild cars from that decade.
The 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Coupe with the 4-speed manual gearbox we featured early this year is back up on offer, having been previously listed at $84,500. These cars were classics with a modern heart. With the manual gearbox, it’s quite the rare W111.
The below post originally appeared on our site January 25, 2015:
