This 1997 Mercedes-Benz S320 SWB was reportedly purchased new by the seller’s grandfather at Gulf Stream Motors in Palm Beach, Florida in 1997 and has remained with the same family the entirety of its life. Finished in Midnight Blue (904) over Beige (265) leather interior, this short-wheelbase variant of the W140 S-Class platform has a wheelbase that is approximately four inches shorter than the long-wheelbase versions. Currently, this S320 displays less than 50k miles on the digital odometer of which 10,000 were added by the seller. This W140 is being offered at no reserve with a clean Carfax report and a clean PA title.
The S320 is powered by a 3.2-liter inline six-cylinder engine rated at 228 horsepower and 238 lb-ft of torque when new. Power is translated through a 5-speed automatic gearbox to a set of OEM 16x7.5” six-hole factory wheels. Included with the sale are an additional set of OEM eight-hole W140 wheels for a prefacelift example as depicted in the gallery below.
The Midnight Blue exterior paint is trimmed with a red factory pinstripe and is reportedly in good, original condition with the exception of minor scratching at the trunk lid. As a facelift model, this S320 features updated front and rear bumpers, slimmer side cladding, and redesigned headlights and taillights among other various updates.
The interior is finished in Parchment leather with cherry wood accents on the center console, dash, and door panels. Cabin features include power-adjustable front seats with memory, a power glass sunroof, and pneumatic self-closure aids for the doors and trunk. Double-paned glass also surrounds the cabin at all four doors. The digital odometer shows just under 50k miles, approximately 10,000 of which were added by the seller since 2004.
Maintenance performed in 2021 includes a new OEM Mercedes battery and a Mobil 1 oil and fluid service. The car is described as completely stock with the exception of a set of larger rear rotors and calipers reportedly from an S500 of the same era. The car remained in Florida until 2004 when it was inherited by a family member in Pennsylvania following the death of the seller’s grandfather. The provided Carfax shows no damage or accidents and service records in Florida and Pennsylvania throughout the family's ownership.
A cold start video featuring funtionality of the soft-close doors, trunk, mirrors and keyless entry is provided below.
Open Transit:
Enclosed Transit:
The winning bidder will receive an email with the quote and option to proceed with shipping.
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18 Comments
Bargain. Though more on the "entry level" model, looks well preserved and "low mileage". And the latter is beginning to be a very important selling point which drives prices heavily up.Car was stolen.....$7,250 bid placed by @PCM1
@Kirillva I appreciate your comment and have precisely the same sentiment! This is a fantastic one-owner, low mileage W140 in a great color combo and excellent mechanical and cosmetic condition. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to own a legend.Hey everyone! Just wanted to check in and say thanks for looking and bidding. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask—I’m monitoring the auction and will promptly reply.Even 10K it’s too low for that car....$7,000 bid placed by @Amarzullo517
$6,750 bid placed by @mbzcollector
$6,500 bid placed by @Michaelmotorcar
Highly underrated and unmistakable on the road even today. The M104 is the easiest engine to maintain of all the W140 offerings.$6,250 bid placed by @LouBenz
I love every S-Class, but the 140 has been my favorite since the day it was introduced and that has yet to change. For those that questioned it, no, the pinstripes did not come from the factory. They were a frequently added dealer option put on to pad the sticker for negotiating back in the day. They can generally be easily removed without paint damage by a professional. I have too many cars, but my most frequent daily is a ‘99 similar to this one. I never find myself driving it and wishing that I was in anything else. If you are looking to try one of these, this model and vintage is the least economically threatening way to do so. And don’t be put off by the six cylinder. This is a shockingly good powertrain. They surprise everybody that drives one if they go in knowing it’s “only a six-cylinder“ It’s completely non-dramatic around town, but if you really need to hustle out in the woods, you just keep your foot in it and let it spin as was always the case with a good European in-line six.@Greig1756 The Carfax indeed reads 52K at one of the service intervals reported. That is a clerical error on behalf of Mercedes-Benz of Pittsburgh and could likely be corrected but I have not looked into that. The odometer and the title show the actual, original miles, as do the service records as contained in the booklet and elsewhere. The car did, indeed, see very minimal use since 2015 or so. The original owner had passed, and the succeeding owner, older herself with existing transport, had no need for it other than posterity—and as a loaner when her out of state children and grandkids visited. Please bid with confidence as this car is, indeed, simply a rarely used, dealer maintained, low mileage example. I have an R129 in the same color combination with the pinstripe as well and they've made for quite the combo. Thank you@OliverPlante , It came with the pinstripe from the factory but might be able to be removed if desired. Thanks for looking!@Greig1756 I think thats probably the case (that the car hasn't been driven much at all) but hopefully the seller will confirm. If you look at the carfax, the car hasn't traveled more that 1,000 miles in the last ten years (2011) so its not inconsistent for the car to have not moved much in the past five years either.@ariotofmyown That would imply ZERO mileage on the for the past 5.5 years. I agree it would be strange to roll back only 2K miles. Not so strange to roll 2K plus the mileage since 2015 Has this car actually sat idle for that long?@Greig1756 Looks to me like MB of Pittsburgh inputted the wrong mileage on that single service visit. Ive had that happen on the reports for a few of my cars in the past, actually. Given the consistency of mileage in all 33+ other service records/mileage recordings (and the fact that its only 2k miles off), I would be extremely surprised if it were anything beyond that. Besides, it would be a very strange move to "rollback" a car only 2k miles. haha. Great color combo - GLWA!Any explanation for odometer discrepancy?$6,000 bid placed by @PCM1
$1,997 bid placed by @Elo1725
@BlueridgeMB thanks for the kind words and the bid—good luck!My S320 has rolled over 300K, these are Spectacular daily drivers...and the Best colour to boot!$1,320 bid placed by @BlueridgeMB
@ariotofmyown I think it's because I am originally from England and the pinstripe wasn't a thing on the W140 in Europe. I believe it was a US / North American dealer option. Again though, lovely car and hope I didn't cause offence to the seller@OliverPlante I actually love the factory pinstripe on 80s & 90s MBs. Its definitely a dated option but offers some nostalgic appeal, IMO. Its not difficult at all to remove, fortunately, but I'd keep it if it were mine. GLWA, Seller!Lovely car but the pinstripe must go