1973 Mercedes W116 450 SEL For Sale – On the Market
We found this 1973 Mercedes W116 450 SEL on Craigslist in Eastern Connecticut. The thing we love most about this one is the color combination… the exterior appears to be Silver Green Poly (color code 861), while the ad doesn’t mention the exact color code, that was the only light green metallic available on the 450 SEL in 1973. The green MB tex interior is the icing on the cake making this a serious period piece. What screams early 1970s louder than a green on green Mercedes S class?
Original seats in dark green MB tex look pretty good.
The owner claims the 75,000 miles on the odometer are original and based on the condition of the car, inside, outside and, especially, the engine bay, we’re inclined to believe them. The asking price $14,900. At first glance that seems like all the money for a W116 sedan, but if this one is indeed, ‘rust free’ as the seller proclaims and if it’s original paint, it’s probably a fair number and one that will probably look like a good deal in just a couple of years.
Functionality of the A/C should be confirmed before purchase, as these early W116 HVAC systems can be temperamental and expensive to fix.
1973 was the first year for the W116 body and the only year it was fitted with the smaller bumpers with over-riders. Starting in 1974 Mercedes W116 450 SEL sedans received the big impact bumpers.
Attractive ‘small bumpers’ were fitted to first year W116 450 SEL cars.
The seller mentions much completed mechanical work including front and rear subframe mounts, steering coupling and a thorough sorting of the fuel system including a new gas tank and fuel pump. We must believe that this car may have sat for some period of time leading up to this advertisement, as many of the recent maintenance items are things you’d have to do to a car that had been sitting, unused, for a long period of time.
Engine bay looks awfully clean!
In any case, the cosmetics on this car really look great, it may very well need additional mechanical sorting as the new owner begins to drive and enjoy it, but that’s the easy part. Finding a car like this, with beautiful and original cosmetics is very difficult, but even harder, is putting a car with bad cosmetics right again.
I think the price of $14,900 for this big Mercedes W116 in a very interesting ‘period’ color combination will look like a deal in just a few short years.
The back seat is the most comfortable seat in a Mercedes S class.