'79 Mercedes S-Class W116 - 2 owners - Very Original - Books, records - COLD A/C

1979 Mercedes-Benz 400-Series : Low Mile 450SEL Survivor : Description

Here up for bids is one very nice 450SEL. This car was bought new in Portland at Don Rasmussen Mercedes (America's first MB dealer) and has had just 2 owners from new, both here in Portland. The 2nd owner bought the car in 1987 with 79K miles, it now has 102K miles. Always garaged, the car is exceedingly well preserved and original, a standout example of Mercedes' debut Sonderklasse line of flagship vehicles, known here in the US as the S-Class.
Click to enlarge any of the images, OR click here to view a slideshow of all of the enlarged images.

Finished in the classic MB color of Astral Silver, the car wears almost all original paint, and it shines. The hood was repainted to rectify rock chips; the color match, finish and level of metallic are spot on. The remainder is all original and still looking fantastic, with excellent gloss and depth. Body panels are all super straight with no dents or damage, panel fit is all factory perfect. There are zero rust issues on this car, no problems anywhere, undercarriage included. Tires are new Toyos with about 300 miles on them, all 4 wheels have been refinished and look like new.

All of the anodized trim on the car is in excellent condition. All of the glass is excellent as well, with no scratches or hard water spotting. The windshield is a quality Sigla replacement showing some light road wear but no chips or stars.

Very nice grill, surround, emblem and hood ornament. Headlights are the original GE units from new, all of the lights and lenses are all in great shape.

Wiper blade holders are original, oftentimes long gone on these cars. The hood has a few minor blemishes (2nd photo below) which were hard to photograph. To the right of the 450SEL badge on the decklid you can see some light scratches (could buff out?), and the rear bumper has 2 small dings along with some light scuffs. Aside from what these 3 photos show, there's not a lot to pick on, the car presents very well.

All of the chromed trim is in outstanding condition with no trace of pitting. Hirschmann power antenna is original and works correctly. Both tail light lenses look like new.

Excellent trunk area with original mat, spare, tool kit and jacking equipment.

The interior continues the survivor theme, the leather seats show a gentle patina but no real wear. The Coco Mats cover the original floor mats, perfectly preserved underneath.

All switchgear operates correctly with the exception of the cruise control. Gauges all work and show good consistent readings, clock keeps perfect time. The wood trim in this car is exceptional, another testament to its garaged existence.

The power windows all operate smoothly, the original Becker radio has good sound and the power antenna works in tandem with the power switch. The climate control actually works perfectly in this car, the troublesome servo has been upgraded to an electronic unit for better reliability. The auto fan function works, the heater blows hot and the A/C blows cold. Ashtrays are unused, the car has not been smoked in.

Nice dash with the exception of one small crack near the binnacle. Headliner is mint and the sunroof functions correctly. All interior illumination works.

Clean door panels and original weatherstripping, still in good condition. The vacuum powered door locks work but will lose pressure overnight and become manual locks by the morning.

The horsehair padding in the seat back has broken down a bit over time, probably the only weak point in this interior. The car comes with a full assortment of original books and manuals. The maintenance booklet is dealer stamped up to about 60K miles, and there are service receipts after that. The receipts show work done to the driveshaft flex discs (guibos), brakes, suspension and steering box. On this car, anything that needed fixing got fixed.

The car runs and drives excellent, you can tell right away that this was a well maintained car. It starts easily with no smoke, makes good power, shifts well, brakes well and basically motors along like you would expect from a car of this caliber. I recently took the car on a 200 mile trip that combined freeway driving with winding rural roads. The car handled both with ease, solid and square on the road without a squeak or rattle, it's a fantastic performer from start to finish.

1st photo shows the servo replacement. All original otherwise, right down to the spark plug wires.

Excellent core support with all decals and ID plates present, as well as in the driver's door jamb.

Really exceptional undercarriage with no trace of rust, no sign of accident damage and still with its factory branded MB exhaust. Just an outstanding survivor that's been cared for from day one.

Click here for a slideshow of all of the enlarged images.

About the reserve price:
Out of fairness to all bidders the reserve is held in confidence, please just bid at the level that you'd want to pay. This auction ends Sunday, May 28th at 7 PM Pacific Time