This 1983 Mercedes-Benz 500SEL is a European spec example originally ordered from the Stuttgart branch in Germany. The car was later imported to the U.S. and spent time in Washington State, South Dakota, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and now resides in Atlanta, Georgia with the current owner who bought the car in November of 2022. Finished in Manganese Brown Metallic (480) over Brazil Velour (953) interior, power is provided by a 5.0-liter V8 mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. This particular W126 has been built for Cannonball cross country runs and has earned several podium finishes on several different cross county rallies. The owner bought the car from the previous owner who competitively raced it and had it set up for rallies. The current owner then mechanically went through the car over the past several years to make it reliable for sustained, high speed runs. Recent maintenance includes high flow Magnaflow catalytic converters, flex discs, drilled and slotted front rotors, R134a A/C conversion, fan clutch, power steering refresh, lower control arm ball joints, wheel bearings, steering damper, rebuilt transmission, idler arm bushings, transmission service, timing chains, timing chain guides, valve guides, head gasket, breather hoses, new fuel system, ignition service, and more. Performance modifications include H&R lowering springs, Bilstein B6 struts front and Koni rear shocks, twin snorkel air box, and Maxilite painted Penta wheels. This W126 shows just under 181k miles and is now offered with two keys, recent service records from the previous two owners, Webasto heater box assembly, original glove box, original single snorkel air box, black fabric Subaru WRX seats used during the rallies, and a clean Georgia title.
The car is finished in Manganese Brown Metallic (480) with satin black painted lower cladding and a satin black AMG stripe tracing the broadside body lines of the car. Features include slim Euro front and rear bumpers, Hella auxiliary fog lamps, Bosch Euro glass headlights, Euro style rubber trunk spoiler, satin black painted front grill inserts, and an Adaptiv TPX Laser Jammer. A fully functional metal sunroof is equipped along with tinted windows and a tinted windshield with a higher percentage tint than the windows. A black satin painted AMG badge adorns the aluminum trunk along with a black satin painted hood ornament and rear 500SEL badge. Paint meter readings are included in the gallery showing some paint work mixed with some original paint. Rock chips are present and photographed in the gallery along with a paint flake on the front driver quarter panel with some surface corrosion present. Road rally stickers in which the car competed in are on the rear of the car and pictured inside of the trunk lid. A brake light kill switch was installed for stealthy night time cruising. A new windshield was installed in February of 2023.
Black satin painted Maxlite reproduction Penta wheels are 17” in diameter and sport Continental ExtrememeContact Sport 02 tires measuring 235/45 on all four corners with 2022 date codes. Aftermarket AMG center caps are pressed into the Maxilite wheels on all four corners. The car is lowered on H&R springs with Bilstein B6 struts up front and Koni shocks for the rear. Drilled and slotted brake rotors are equipped at the front with newer brake calipers paired with rear smooth faced rotors with rebuilt brake calipers. Lower ball joints were done in harmony with the steering damper, front/rear flex discs, power steering box rebuild with new lines/fluid/filter, wheel bearings, idler arm bushings, and differential fluid.
The interior is finished in Brazil Velour (953) with burl wood trim accents along the dashboard, doors, and center console. Amenities include power adjustable heated front seats, automatic climate control, an electrically adjustable passenger side mirror, and a Kenwood excelon bluetooth capable head unit. A brake light kill switch is installed on a control panel above the shifter knob with a toggle switch for the radar jammer and the front auxiliary lights. This W126 was optioned with the rare Webasto heater assembly which pre-heated the engine and cabin on cold days. The control panel is seen on the shifter bezel with the actual assembly included in the sale which has been taken off. On the panel where the glovebox goes, there are additional USB and USB-C 3.0 outlets along with additional 12V outlets to run auxiliary equipment for road rallies. Additional male ended plugs are shown coming out of the fabricated sheetmetal panel. The rear seats are power reclining which show to work in the video and are also heated. A first aid kit is equipped in the parcel shelf. Subaru WRX seats are included with the sale of the vehicle which were used on cross country rallies. Brown OEM floor mats are included with the rear driver mat missing. A new heater valve assembly (monovalve) was replaced by the previous owner and the current seller had the A/C converted to R134a and is reported to blow cold.
The three-spoke Momo steering wheel frames a 160-mph speedometer, a 7k-rpm tachometer with an inset analog clock, and a combination gauge for coolant temperature, fuel level, oil pressure, and instant fuel economy. The six-digit odometer shows just under 181k miles.
The Euro 5.0-liter M117 V8 is equipped with Euro log headers and was rated at 228 horsepower and 299 lb-ft of torque when new. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a four-speed automatic transmission. The Euro 5.0-liter engine sports higher compression and more top end power compared to the North American 5.0-liter M117. A lot of maintenance has gone into the power plant and drivetrain including:
The seller reports that this W126 has hit a GPS verified 137-mph with three people in the car and a full tank of gas. Detailed undersides are shown in the gallery along with recent service invoices from the current and previous owner.
This 500SEL is a competitive open-road car and has raced in the Southern Classic rally in 2022 - 2025 and has placed on the podium in all the races only behind a six speed manual swapped 450SEL 6.9. It has also competed in the Cannonball Run, which is an unsanctioned cross country race with the starting line at the Red Ball Garage on East 31st Street, Manhattan and the finish line at the Portofino Hotel in California covering nearly 3,000 miles with a goal of who can do it the fastest. This race was started by legendary automotive journalist, Brock Yates, in the ‘70s and popularized by the 1981 film The Cannonball Run. The seller has included photos in the gallery of the 500SEL poised at the finish line post race. This W126 shows just under 181k miles and is now offered with two keys, service records from the previous two owners, original glove box, original single snorkel air box, black fabric Subaru WRX seats used during the rallies, and a clean Georgia title.
The seller has provided a detailed walkaround video, underside inspection, and POV driving video.
Everyone knows the best way to buy a race car is to purchase one that’s already been built and proven to be fast on the track. It’s cheaper this way and you know what the car is already capable of when spending your own hard earned coin. This is exactly what this 500SEL is but for the endurance road racers of America. Buying an Euro market W126 and dialing it in can be a daunting task as so many of them are not maintained to the standards they should be. The addition of making a 42-year-old luxury flagship S-Class into a competitive cross country Cannonball car is a whole other layer of insanity and complexity. Luckily for the bidders of this auction, that’s exactly what you’re bidding on! This is a race proven car with multiple podium finishes under its belt. The car is basically turn-key to rip across the country in and be fast out of the box. The added benefits of the color combination (brown on brown is so good and so ‘80s), rarity of the spec, and it being a high compression 5.0 car makes this highly appealing to anyone wanting to break into the sphere and make a name for themselves. Plus there’s no better car of the era to race across the country in than a long wheelbase W126. That’s a hill we will die on.
Open Transit:
Enclosed Transit:
The winning bidder will receive an email with the quote and option to proceed with shipping.
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5 Comments
@trailrunner I think this is a first on The MB Market. It's so dang cool. Brown on brown is just lovely too. It's like your best friend's finished basement from 1983 inside. @ArmyGuy63 You should! What unicorns do you have in the collection? I'm curious. @JellyMan Would be amazing on the Autobahn, that's for certain. Would love for it to stay in the US. This is a well known rally car and I'm sure other competitors would love to see it leave the country so they have an easier time competing since this thing keeps beating every car.Perfect car with a perfect story. Maybe it'll go back to Germany for some Autobahn burning?Wicked cool build, no doubt. I’d love to add her to my stable of other “Unicorn” cars in my collection!How interesting! What a fantastic color combo!!Hey everyone! I'm so excited to help one of my good friends list and sell his road rally 500SEL! There is a lot to this car, so I'm expecting some questions from interested bidders. I tried to cover everything in both the video and the photo gallery. Please look through all the service invoices and watch my underside inspection at the beginning of the video. This comes from a local pre-merger collector's garage. He's selling because he's run out of room with some new toys he bought and doesn't want this to sit outside. This is a podium finisher cannonball build. Please read through the copy as I provided a ton of information to The MB Market who did a great job organizing it all. A TON of money has gone into this car to make ready for cross country blasts. In 2023, it placed 2nd in the Southern Classic (14:10) and 4th in the 2023 US Express (32:55) and keeps finishing second up until this year's rally. Super unique, cool car and jsut a downright dialed in Euro 500SEL to boot. I'll be here to help anyone interested in any capacity. Thanks and good luck! I'm open for phone calls and in-person showings as well.