I call this an 'oil baron' not because it takes a lot of oil (although it may) but because a very similar car was driven by Larry Hagman's character on Dallas and was quite fitting of him and the whole show.
This example is even better in Euro-spec, with the short slim chrome bumpers, square headlights and full-orange rear turn indicators.
The W116 chassis was the Mercedes sedan of the 1970s. It was produced from 1972-1980 and was a big leap ahead from its predecessor in terms of styling and engineering.
The seller is a dealer and provide no details, other than stating the vehicle was "collector owned", which could mean anything.
They list the mileage as 126,084.
Underneath the hood is the 3.5-litre M116 8-cylinder engine which produced around 200 horsepower, respectable for the time.
They just don't make Mercedes that look, drive and feel like this anymore. On top of that, this is a rare Euro-spec survivor in what looks to be pretty decent shape, although there is paint cracking and some rust behind the driver's side wheel well.
Find it for sale on ebay here for $6,800 and the dealer page here.
JR drove a LWB W116 450SEL. The SWB and lower euro-typical equipment levels on offer here wouldn't suit him. After all, it wasn't the best available.
ReplyDeleteWhile JR might not accept sitting on plaid cloth seats and rolling up his own windows, he probably wouldn't think twice able parking on the sidewalk.
Unlike JR, this green SWB W116 S-class would suit me just fine! The cleaner Euro trim really emphasizes this timeless design. Classy and beautiful. The lower equipment level may also help minimize future repair hassles.
126K miles isn't that much on a well-maintained W116 either. As long as the rust behind the driver side front wheel is addressed (and there isn't significantly more lurking elsewhere), this would make a great daily driver.
Nice find!