The Mercedes enthusiast's dream, a 6. 9 450SEL, further enhanced by AMG. ” The super-saloon of the 1970's, owned by rock stars and racing drivers. This one, takes rarity onto another level, as the car is fitted with a number of desirable and no doubt astronomically expensive AMG options. We have never seen another for sale!
Key:
The Fastest Saloon of its Day
Very Rare AMG Equipped 6. 9
VIN - ****
75471 miles
Black
Black Leather
Left-Hand Drive
Innocents might view the W116 Mercedes 450SEL 6. 9 as just another old seventies German taxi with an improbably large engine but the cognoscenti, the sort of folk with whom we’d want to have a drink, know there is much more to it than that.
For a start, the rear axle features a ZF limited-slip differential and the whole thing is suspended via self-levelling, height-adjustable hydropneumatic suspension that automatically compensates for squat and dive under acceleration and braking respectively.
It’s quick in a straight line, too; with 286bhp and 405 lb/ ft of torque, the two-tonne 450SEL can reach 60mph in a shade over seven seconds on its way to a top speed of 140mph.
You want pedigree? A list of Mercedes 450SEL 6. 9 owners is a Who’s Who of seventies legends: James Hunt had a couple that he used to smoke around London in. Bernie Ecclestone and showbusiness royalty Frank Sinatra both had SELs as their personal wheels, as did John F. Kennedy Jr. And, let’s not forget, Ronin featured one in what might just be the greatest car chase of all time.
Vehicle Overview
Imported from the USA - modified with the addition of some carefully chosen AMG accessories. We recently spent £3, 000 recently on mechanical replacing the suspension properly and now “drives wonderfully”.
Exterior
Black. The panels all look good. Free of serious rot and still very well aligned, they’ve survived the years well with only a light patina. The wheelarches, one of the car’s Achille’s heels, are smooth and solid, so that’s one less thing to worry about.
The chromework is good, with only light pitting, scratching and hazing.
The 16-inch, split-rim gold BBS alloy wheels 225/ 50R16 Hankook Ventus V2 tyres on all four corners. Made in 2021 and still showing plenty of tread, they’ve got plenty of life left in them.
As for the coachwork, there are cracks in the paint and a few dinks here and there.
Interior
The seats are upgraded from Recaro.
The rear seats have been trimmed in the same combination of velour and leather, and while they could all do with some TLC.
AMG/ Silberpfeil steering wheel adds yet more period goodness. The door cards look very good and the carpets are decent. The boot contains a space-saver spare wheel and lifting the trim shows a solid metal floor.
The Recaro seats should be adjustable via a series of switches on their inner seat bolster but they haven’t been connected up, so that’ll need doing too.
Mechanical
The attached four-page summary of the work the seller commissioned here in the UK makes impressive reading. In short:
Full service including new v-belts and sparkplugs, an engine tune and steam-clean
Fresh brake fluid plus a check of the braking system and handbrake adjustment
Fit new window regulator, window mechanism, and door check strap
Fit new engine and gearbox mounts, engine damper, gearlever bushes, washer pump, fuel regulator and secondhand fuel divider
Fit HID headlamp kit, and rewire horn and auxiliary fan
Plus, lots more. He “doesn’t know of any mechanical issues” (although we do note the use of ‘stop leak’ in both the cooling and power-steering system).
The seller knows the model well having owned a few and the suspension falls on every one he’s had after it’s been parked for a while. Not on this one though.
The V8 engine fires into life nicely and idles well with a distant rumble. It revs as it should and makes a lovely, albeit subdued, exhaust note.
The underside looks well protected by underseal.
The 450SEL doesn’t need a current MOT as it is over 40 years old.
After years in the doldrums, the Mercedes 450SEL’s time has come and we fully expect them to breach six figures within a few years, taking them beyond the reach of all but the very wealthiest enthusiast.
Car is prices to sell and should be worth double in years to come.
The AMG goodies I estimate are probably worth £5, 000 by themselves.
