The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is an icon of luxury and technology, as well as a yardstick by which other high-end sedans are measured. It hasn’t always been that way, though. Yes, Mercedes has a long history of making upscale four-doors, but officially, the S-Class dates back to the early 1970s, when the W116 series debuted. Our Pick of the Day is one of the most well-known models from that entire line. You can find this 1979 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 listed on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Englewood, Colorado.
“In September 1972 a totally new car generation of the upper class was presented to the public. For the first time the name ‘Mercedes-Benz S-Class’ was officially used. It replaced model series 108/109 and at that time consisted of Types 280 S, 280 SE and 350 SE. Six months later the S-Class saloon was also available with a larger displacement capacity in the 4.5-liter V8-engine, parallel to the 450 SL and the 450 SLC. At the same time Type 450 SEL was launched with a wheelbase extended by 100 mm,” according to the Mercedes-Benz Corporate Archive.
The 1979 brochure for Mercedes’ range of U.S. vehicles shows that the automaker emphasized the 450SEL’s combination of performance and luxury. Although it kept the 450SEL naming structure, the 6.9 model that went into production in 1975 shifted the balance toward power and speed. Its massive M100 6.8-liter (6,834cc) SOHC V-8 with Bosch K-Jetronic mechanical fuel injection and dry-sump lubrication generated 250 horsepower and 360 lb-ft of torque, which reached the limited-slip rear end through a three-speed automatic. With the gas pedal floored, the 6.9 could reach 62 mph (100 kph) in 7.4 seconds. A “thinking” and self-leveling hydropneumatic suspension kept the big Benz composed in straight lines as well as curves.
Between 1975 and 1980, a total of 7,380 450SEL 6.9s rolled off the production line. This particular Gray Blue Metallic 1979 model was sparingly driven by its previous owner, but wound up in his family’s garage, where it stayed for more than 20 years. After acquiring the car, the selling dealer put it through a “comprehensive recommissioning,” which included “paint correction, mechanical sorting, attention to the complex hydropneumatic suspension, and the installation of correct speed-rated Michelin XWX tires for proper handling and safety.”
Although the Navy Blue leather interior wasn’t a part of that process, it seems to have aged very well over the course of 47 years and 92,380 miles. The same goes for the wood trim and the carpeting.
As Car and Driver‘s David E. Davis Jr. pointed out in his review of a 450SEL 6.9, it’s not a perfect car, but he also called it “perhaps, the ultimate manifestation of the basic Daimler-Benz idea of how automobiles are supposed to be designed and built — the best Mercedes-Benz automobile ever sold.” You can get this long-wheelbase legend for $49,500.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com
