This 1980 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL is a final-year example of the W116 S-Class which shows just 101k miles from new. Finished in Champagne Metallic (473) over Mushroom Leather (205), power is provided by a 4.5-liter M117 V8 paired with a three-speed automatic transmission driving the rear wheels. Factory equipment includes an optional power sliding sunroof, power windows, central locking, cruise control, automatic climate control and a Becker Mexico cassette stereo. A photocopy of the original window sticker has been provided by the seller showing an MSRP of $37,760. New tires were fitted by the dealer along with a full mechanical inspection. This 450SEL is now offered for sale by the selling dealer with the original manufacturer’s literature, the original tool kit and a clean Missouri title.
The exterior is finished in Champagne Metallic (473) and features chrome trim lining the windows, mirrors and impact bumpers. Exterior equipment includes a power sliding sunroof, an automatic antenna, green heat-insulating glass and an electrically heated rear window. Only minor blemishes at the leading edge of the hood are noted by the seller with no signs of rust or damage present on the body.
The cabin is trimmed in Mushroom Leather (205) with a contrasting black dashboard, matching beige carpets and Zebrano veneer wood trim. The wood presents in good condition with only minor hairline cracks visible around the climate controls. Interior appointments include full power windows, power central locking, automatic climate control, cruise control and the original Becker Mexico cassette player and radio. The seller notes that both the air-conditioning and horn are not functional. Wrinkled upholstery is visible on the rear bench seats along with a faded passenger seat-bottom.
The four-spoke steering wheel frames VDO instrumentation consisting of an 85-mph speedometer, a 7k-rpm tachometer, an analog clock and gauges for fuel level, coolant temperature and oil pressure. The six-digit odometer currently shows just 101k miles from new.
This long-wheelbase W116 comes fitted with a 4.5-liter M117 V8 engine which produces 217 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a three-speed automatic transmission. Underbody photos have been provided by the seller and are viewable in the photo gallery.
This car was purchased by the dealer in 2021 and received a full bumper to bumper mechanical inspection upon its purchase. Documentation provided by the dealer includes a photocopy of the original window sticker, the original data card, the original manufacturer’s literature and a filled-out service booklet. This 450SEL is now offered for sale by MotoeXotica Classic Cars in Fenton, Missouri with a clean Missouri title in the dealer’s name.
A driving and walk-around video has been provided by the seller below.
With the recent uptick in classic S-Class values - particularly with W126's - let's address how gracefully the W116 has aged through multiple generations of the Sonderklasse. From its commanding road presence to the plush seats, there's no denying the how impressive it is that these classic flagships are more than capable of being driven on the daily more than 40 years since their release. Moreover, the long-wheelbase examples - like this final-year 450SEL - never fail to turn heads and remind us how well the W116 has aged nearly four decades on. There's no denying that premium examples of these long-wheelbase sedans - like this one - are destined for the hands of savvy collectors with an eye on future values and the benefit of decades of enjoyment ahead.
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12 Comments
@motox @heshe The market has spoken. I think the hammer price was pretty fair considering the car's condition and description, and the fact that it's pretty "meh" for a W116. This was never a $25,000 car under the circumstances, and likely never would be. Good Afternoon.What was the reserve @motox?$4,500 bid placed by @dpblues2000
$4,250 bid placed by @cmscollect
$4,000 bid placed by @dpblues2000
$3,750 bid placed by @cmscollect
$3,500 bid placed by @dpblues2000
$3,250 bid placed by @cmscollect
@kingkitty @heshe @ariotofmyown Thank you for your interest on our 450SEL. We have been in the classic car business since 1987 with over 10,000 cars sold to date. MBMarket has an extensive questionnaire when listing a car on their site. When we listed the car the ONLY things wrong that we were aware of was the A/C and the horn not working. As mentioned, below we had our mechanic charge the A/C system yesterday to address the problem and was able to get it working without further complications. We are not aware of any other needs for the car, but also understand that it is a 43 year old car. We have numerous photos of the car and a video both running and driving. We always welcome a personal inspection or third party if you so choose, but have been selling cars online since 1999 with a great track record of describing cars as they are with a fair description and plenty of photos for review. The rattle that you are hearing is the camera mount, not the suspension. Sorry, for any confusion on that. We do take offense to Kingkitty's comments, but that is the world we live in today. Key board warriors hiding anonymously spewing comments, but never a bid. IF one would look at his other comments on the site he tends to be combative, with numerous question but NEVER a bid that we have seen. That said, he has not asked to have the car inspected by a third party or personally. And so it goes....... We have priced the car fairly and hope it finds a new home today.. Happy Motoring, Team MotoeXotica@motox can you clarify if the ratting/clanking sounds in the video are from the suspension or from the camera/camera mount....? Thanks.$3,000 bid placed by @ariotofmyown
@KingKitty Seems a little hasty to paint the seller with such a broad brush by saying "dealers like this..." Sure, I agree that more information about the mechanical condition would go a long way in actually getting this car sold, but perhaps less-negatively toned commentary encouraging them to do so on future listings would be more beneficial for all. @motox - do you have any information regarding the mechanical inspection and the items mentioned by @kingkitty?@motox So much for the “bumper to bumper mechanical inspection”, eh? Just my point. Dealers like this acquire these cars, do little to make them complete or functional other than to address cosmetics, then turn them out to the market expecting to make big bucks. This is a classic example of why any potential buyer should ALWAYS have a PPI (pre-purchase inspection) performed by a third party. I wonder how many other things aren’t working on this car that would be an easy fix like this? So now the Ac works, but what about all the related things in the ACC system, like blower doors, fan speeds, automatic operation, heat, defrost, etc., etc.$2,250 bid placed by @glass1man
We had our mechanic give the system a charge and it is blowing nice and cold now!! A photo with a temperature reading should have be added by MB Market.A photo showing the A/C vent temperature reading has been added to the gallery.$2,000 bid placed by @Bruce777
@menlopark Unlikely this will attain that sort of price. It's a boring car being sold by a dealer who tarts up these cars ("received a full bumper to bumper mechanical inspection upon its purchase") to get as much out of them as possible with minimal effort (in my opinion.) I'm thinking $5k at best. I wouldn't buy from this or any other dealer without a very exhaustive pre-purchase inspection. They know nothing of the provenance. "Air conditioning and horn are not functional." Anyone who knows these cars will see this as a major red flag. This car has the Automatic Climate Control (ACC) using a servo for all climate control functions. The vague language in the listing says nothing about heater, blower or other ACC functions - likely because they're non-functional if the servo is bad.$1,750 bid placed by @glass1man
$1,500 bid placed by @markwilson
$1,250 bid placed by @Awismot
"This long-wheelbase W116 comes fitted with a 4.5-liter M117 V8 engine which produces 217 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque. " Maybe for the European cars - but the US cars for 1980 were strangled down to 160 hp in order to achieve better fuel economy than the years prior when the 4.5l V8s produced 180 hpWill probably go for upwards of 25 or 30, maybe more. Great car$1,000 bid placed by @markwilson
beautiful looking 450SEL you have here! I have a 1980 450SEL as well, based on VIN mine was built 43 units ahead of yours (also in Nov, 1979). Have had mine for 15 years and can say these W116's still impress. Such solid cars with real presence. Good luck with the auction!