1980 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL Sedan

By 1980, Mercedes-Benz made a sizable impact into the luxury car and large sedan markets, as younger customers were increasingly attracted to the German offerings over traditional cars from Cadillac, Lincoln and Imperial.

This example was made in November 1979 in Mercedes' Sindelfingen, West Germany factory. Finished in Champagne Metallic (code 473), the car's paint and trim are in overall very good order, though there are a few blemishes at the leading edge of the car's hood. The bodywork is straight and solid, the chrome and rubber bumpers fit tightly to the body, the cargo space is very tidy, as is the engine bay.

This big Benz rolls on newer Westlake Radial RP18 tires, size 205/70R14 at all four corners (2020 date code). Each one is mounted to a

15-hole light alloy rim. The wheels are in good, original order and the tires are in very good condition. This 450SEL has four-wheel independent suspension and four-wheel disc brakes.

Under the counterbalanced hood is a 4.5L SOHC 16-valve V-8 engine (code M117) with Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection. Backing the motor is a three-speed automatic transmission (code W3A 040) and a 3.07:1 rear end. Driver convenience features includes electronic climate control (code 581), power recirculating-ball steering, power four-wheel disc brakes, cruise control (code 440), tachometer (code 451), power windows, power locks, power antenna (code 431) and rear window defroster (code 592).

Inside, the car has a Mushroom Leather interior (code 205), which is in overall very good order but the rear sear shows some wrinkles on the rear bench seat. The matching carpet looks good and there's the usual, large, four-spoke steering wheel facing the driver. The inner door panels and dashboard, with its VDO gauges, are all in very good condition. The center console and console-mounted shifter help round out the interior along with a Becker Mexico AM/FM stereo with a cassette deck (code 518). Horn is inop.

The W116 S-Class incorporated a broad variety of Mercedes-Benz safety innovations:

*Four-wheel anti-lock brakes were first featured as an option on the 1978 W116 S-Class. This system prevents the wheels from locking while braking. The system improves steering control during hard braking situations, and to shorten brake distances
*Strengthened body structure. The W116 featured a more stable security passenger cell with a stiffened roof frame structure. High strength roof and door pillars, along with other reinforced zones, provided enhanced vehicle occupant protection
*Deformation zones (crumple zones) in the front and rear
*A padded dashboard, deformable switches and controls, and a four-spoke steering wheel with impact absorber and broad impact cushion aimed to reduce occupant injury during collisions
*The fuel tank was no longer fitted at the rear end, but was now placed above the rear axle for added protection
*Wraparound turn signals made it easier to communicate with nearby drivers

Competition to this Mercedes in 1980 included: BMW's 733i, Buick's Electra, Cadillac's Fleetwood Brougham and Sedan De Ville and Seville, Chrysler's New Yorker, Jaguar's XJ-6 and Oldsmobile's 98.

If you're looking for a big Benz that has only used one of its lives, visit MotoeXotica Classic Cars to see if you're ready to be this car's next owner and take on its next adventure.

VIN: 116033120984358
EIN: 117986 12 054446

TIN: 02 126128

This car is currently located at our facility in St. Louis, Missouri. Current mileage on the odometer shows 101,090 miles. It is sold as is, where is, on a clean and clear, mileage exempt title.

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