This 1981 Mercedes-Benz 500SEL AMG was delivered to its original owner in Germany in December 1981 where it received modifications from AMG and now shows 83k miles. Finished in Black (040) over Sienna Red Leather (237), power is provided by a 5.0-liter V8 mated to a four-speed automatic transmission driving the rear wheels. Factory equipment includes power adjustable front seats, a power sliding sunroof, automatic climate control, cruise control, a Becker radio and a power passenger-side mirror. Modifications include a Gen 1 AMG body kit, AMG multi-piece wheels, an AMG muffler and an AMG ATIWE steering wheel. Recent maintenance includes an oil change, brake and differential fluid flush, new shocks, and a new battery along with a new cap, rotor, plug wires and spark plugs. This 500SEL is now offered for sale by the current owner in Los Angeles, California with the original manufacturer’s literature, a clean Carfax report and a clean Montana title.
This long-wheelbase sedan is finished in Black (040) and features a black-painted grille, hood emblem, badges and body trim. Exterior equipment includes a power sliding sunroof, an automatic antenna, a power passenger-side door mirror and European-spec headlights. An AMG Gen 1 body kit was fitted to the car in Germany including extended front and rear bumpers, side skirts, dual chrome AMG exhaust tips and an AMG badge mounted to the trunk lid. The seller reports that the front and rear spoilers have previously been repainted to remediate scratches. No signs of body damage or rust are present on the exterior of the vehicle.
17” OZ Aero III multi-piece wheels wear a polished lip with a painted face and have been fitted with a set of Sumitomo HTR Z5 tires measuring 254/45 front and 275/40 rear showing 2022 date codes. The wheels are in good condition with no signs of damage or corrosion present. The seller reports that a service in May 2023 included a new set of H&R springs, Bilstien dampers, a new left rear caliper, new brake hoses and a brake fluid flush. A spare tire can be found mounted in the trunk.
The cabin is finished in Sienna Red Leather (237) with matching carpets, floor mats, pillars and a beige headliner. Zebrano wood trim lines the center console, gear selector, dashboard and door panels and shows no signs of cracking or fading. Interior amenities include automatic climate control, cruise control, power windows, power-adjustable front seats and the original Becker Mexico radio and cassette player. The seller notes that the radio is currently not functional.
An AMG ATIWE steering wheel frames the instrument cluster including a 160-mph speedometer, a 7k-rpm tachometer, an analog clock and gauges for fuel level, economy, coolant temperature and oil pressure. The six-digit mechanical odometer currently shows 83k miles.
This W126 is powered by a 5.0-liter M117 V8 which produces 237 horsepower and 298 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a four-speed automatic transmission. Additional maintenance items include a new battery, an oil and oil filter change, a new distributor cap and rotor, new spark plugs and wires, a differential fluid flush and a leakdown and compression test. Partial service history is included with the vehicle and underbody photos are viewable in the gallery below.
This 500SEL AMG was imported to the United States in 2012 before being purchased by its current owner in 2014 showing its first Carfax reporting in 2022. The car is now offered for sale by the current owner in Los Angeles, California with the original manufacturer’s literature, a clean Carfax report and a clean Montana title.
Videos of the car have been provided by the seller below.
The 80’s were a really good time to be alive. There was big hair, rock and roll, neon lights, Miami Vice, and no one had ever heard of Twitter or Facebook. You could also turn your flagship S-Class Mercedes-Benz into the most sinister looking land yacht in town thanks to the good folks at AMG. And this is pre-merger AMG we’re talking about here; Where there were no limitations on how you could modify your car as long as your checkbook could back it up. When it comes to embracing the attitude and style of the 80’s, this black 500SEL does it extremely well. The AMG body kit along with the painted Aero III wheels and monochromed bumpers, grille, and badging transform the W126 in the best way possible. The interior of this 500SEL is especially rare to find and has us salivating to put it in our own garage. To add to that, this is also a Euro spec which packs a heavier punch in power under the hood from the factory and the recent service performed should be a huge added benefit. While some versions did get the upgraded 6.0 engines, values have now rocketed far into the six figures for those and at a fraction of the price you can still get the authentic look, feel, and experience while allowing your indie mechanic to take care of all service needs. Sounds like a winning combination to us.
Open Transit:
Enclosed Transit:
The winning bidder will receive an email with the quote and option to proceed with shipping.
Get the best of The MB Market directly in your inbox every day. Subscribe for a curated list of our top market listings and articles!
21 Comments
Now on bring a trailer .com - 2 days leftToo bad this didn't sell, but the price seemed to be a very fair one, based upon the vehicle having only cosmetic AMG add-ons. Very well presented by seller though.$48,000 bid placed by @Happygolucky
$47,000 bid placed by @RunOn4
$46,500 bid placed by @Happygolucky
$46,000 bid placed by @RunOn4
$45,500 bid placed by @Happygolucky
$45,000 bid placed by @OPS3
$44,000 bid placed by @RunOn4
$43,500 bid placed by @Happygolucky
$43,000 bid placed by @RunOn4
$42,000 bid placed by @Happygolucky
$41,500 bid placed by @Sparkit
$41,000 bid placed by @Happygolucky
$40,500 bid placed by @OPS3
$40,000 bid placed by @Happygolucky
$39,000 bid placed by @Sparkit
$38,500 bid placed by @OPS3
$38,000 bid placed by @RunOn4
$37,000 bid placed by @Happygolucky
$36,500 bid placed by @OPS3
$36,000 bid placed by @RunOn4
$35,000 bid placed by @OPS3
$33,333 bid placed by @Sparkit
Paint meter readings and additional videos have been added to the listing.$30,000 bid placed by @OPS3
$27,500 bid placed by @Mercedes600
$27,000 bid placed by @am2818
$25,000 bid placed by @OPS3
$23,000 bid placed by @am2818
$21,000 bid placed by @Gwagon
@StuttgartClassix Please see Seller's comments below posted on June 27th, 2023 at 1:14amfinally gen 1 euro cars are getting some respect typically higher sales are for only low miles late usa cars it seems seller was this car from Mendels garage or the original Bruce mendel who used to have those classic advertisements on ebay and sadly pastaway a few yrs back$20,000 bid placed by @am2818
$18,250 bid placed by @Mercedes600
In any case, a Kathalysator Wurm was installed in the past. The golden part on the right wheel arch is from the Wurm Kathalysator, as is the connection between the warm-up regulator and the flow divider, under the air filter box there is also a clock valve in this line. These are the last remnants of the Wurm Catalyst@Shervin burlwood was an option except for the SEC models. US spec 500’s came with burlwood as a standard package. Even the Euro market 280’s could be optioned with burlwood. As to the car being listed, I think it would look much better had it been equipped with the proper wheels for a pre-1986 version. Basketweave Rials, BBS or even the 5 spoke ATS AMG wheels would have pulled off the look better. Thin saying this while I acknowledge that the 3 piece AMG wheels are my all-time favorite wheels. As to the steering wheel, that style was not involved with AMG’s styling. The version 2 which the wheel is came out in the late 80’s.What a striking interior color... like an even darker Palomino or a pumpkin hue, if there was such a thing. So incredibly rare on a W126, especially since it was discontinued after September 1982 (early in the W126's production run). The data card makes no mention of the wood trim, but to my knowledge all 500SEL cars originally came with burl wood rather than zebrano (which is more prone to cracking and is often switched to zebrano for this reason). Can someone verify if this is correct?$18,000 bid placed by @am2818
$16,250 bid placed by @Mercedes600
$16,000 bid placed by @am2818
$14,000 bid placed by @Gwagon
$13,000 bid placed by @am2818
$11,000 bid placed by @Gwagon
who redid the wood, madera, igor or elsewhere its lovely as is the interior color.Photos showing the compression test for each cylinder have been added to the gallery.@xmaster35 The pictures included are of the leak down tests to cylinders 1, 4, 5, and 8. I will upload pictures shortly of the compression tests for all 8 cylinders. Let me know if you have any other questions and good luck bidding.@Mrbruin43 The pictures included are of the leak down tests to cylinders 1, 4, 5, and 8. I will upload pictures shortly of the compression tests for all 8 cylinders. Let me know if you have any other questions and good luck bidding.@xmaster35 The vehicle was imported in 2012 and the odometer was changed at this time. I purchased the vehicle in 2014 and the km counter was not available. Given the reputation of the importer, the exemplary condition of the engine, and the lack of high traffic wear and tear to the drivers compartment, I am confident that the mileage accurately reflects an 83k+ mile car. Because the km counter was not retained, the TMU disclaimer is appropriate. It is the 240PS variant. With conversion formula of 0.9862 this translates to approximately 236.7 HP, or rounded up to the 237 HP as stated. There are no catalytic converters and the car does not meet California's emissions standards. I hope this information is helpful, please let me know if you have any other questions and good luck with bidding.unfortunately only cylinders 1, 4, 5, 8 there is apparently no compression test on the other cylinders, at least not on the picture for whatever reason.... @Mrbruin43 You can see the compression tests in the picturesI also have a request regarding the engine, were you able to perform any compression tests on the cylinders?I am requesting information on mileage. Is the mileage correct and comprehensible? If the vehicle was imported into the US in 2014, was the odometer changed to miles odometer in this context? if so, has the mileage been noted? and is the km counter still available? Secondly, they state that the car should have 238 hp. this did not exist. there were 231PS and before energy concept 240PS. Which variant is available now? is there a catalytic converter installed? thanks a Lot@maxx You are correct, per the OZ Racing label on the side barrel, the wheels were manufactured in October 1993. The car was purchased through notable AMG importer/broker/enthusiast Bruce Mendel in September of 2014. When I went to pick up a 1990 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL AMG 6.0 from Mendel, I noticed this car - due to the rare and unique color combination - and purchased both. Though the 1990 560 SEL 6.0 had complete documentation from AMG Japan dealer Yanase, this example did not. Both cars were sold to me as gray-market imports and Mendel brought this example into the US in 2012 with the AMG parts already installed in Germany. As an aside, the 1990 560 AMG 6.0 that was purchased had AMG Aero 1 wheels with the "///AMG" logo. These wheels were not made available until a co-operative build of the C36 by Mercedes and AMG in 1993/1994 altered the logo. In 1992 I bought a 400E from the local Mercedes dealer with complete AMG body kit, aero 1 wheels, and AMG suspension, all installed by BHMA. Within a year of ownership, the AMG wheels and tires were stolen and I replaced them with Antera 123 wheels, because they were the hot accessory at that time in Los Angeles. I cringe now every time I look at old pictures of the car with those Antera wheels, and hope that the new owner was able to replace them with Aero 1s. I guess the point is that each and every car has its own story, and that story is often shaped by the taste of its one or many owners.Cool car and likely modified a la carte over time... Imho not an issue but those who think they are purist do. .... Agreed wheels were not available until 86/87. Bbs and maybe pentas were. Iamdetailing did a nice video of its auction prep, new wood install, dry ice etcOZ's were not available until several years later. When did the car become an 'AMG'? Are there receipts? In 1982 the rims offered were BBS RA or Rial Type N.Absolutely stunning!! Best of luck, Cheers....$10,000 bid placed by @am2818