The Mercedes-Benz 500SEL was a car with presence. It was a large executive sedan for 1985, stretching about 17 feet in length and carrying an equally substantial base price at $52,000. Even by today’s standards, 40 years later, that is a decent chunk of change. Was the car all it was cracked up to be?
The Pick of the Day is a 1985 Mercedes-Benz 500SEL listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Nashville, Tennessee. (Click the link to view the listing)
“This was the Mercedes flagship sedan of its day,” the listing says. The 500SEL rode on the W126 platform, which underpinned a number of high-end sedan and coupe models between 1979 and 1991. Officially, the W126 marked the second generation for the S-Class. It was a widely popular platform, selling nearly 900,000 cars over its lifespan. Mercedes used the S-Class as a showcase for most of its advanced features in technology, safety, comfort and performance. No wonder people loved it.
The black color scheme for this car is appropriate for a professional, business-like appearance, and the three-pointed star on the nose of the hood makes a statement everywhere this car goes. The originality of the car was one of the things that first caught my attention – no window tint, no upgraded stereo, not even a set of wheels to replace those homely looking 14-inch pie plates. To a purist, the car is perfect.
“The paint and the interior, leather and wood are in superb condition,” the seller says. “Everything works properly. It is a great driving car!” The interior is upholstered in saddle-colored leather. As one would expect, the cabin offers an array of niceties like a power sunroof, burled walnut trim, automatic climate control, a Becker Europa AM/FM cassette audio system, and heated seats both front and rear.
Of course, any big-body sedan will need an equally capable motor. In this case, power comes from an M117 5.0-liter V8 mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. Mercedes-Benz rated this engine at 245 horsepower when new, and the car’s 0-to-60 time was clocked at fewer than 8 seconds.
Maintenance has reportedly been kept up to date, and the odometer on the car shows only 59,551 miles. According to the listing, recent maintenance included service to the vacuum pump, air conditioning, brake fluid, oil and shifter bushings. The seller says, “This car needs nothing!”
The asking price is $27,500 – a relative bargain considering it cost double that 40 years ago.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, check out Pick of the Day.
Source: www.classiccars.com