1976 Mercedes-Benz W116 450 SEL with Black Leather

1976 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL (W116)

Light Ivory (623H) with Black Leather

53,000 miles

The perfect car for 2022… 50 years of the 116 S Class, 1972 to 2022.

Please contact Bruce for further details and photographs.

Road Tax Exempt. ULEZ Exempt.*
The Mercedes-Benz 116 launched in 1972, replacing the 108 series which itself was introduced to supersede the W111 – the famous ‘fintail’ design of the 1960s. Coming from a long line of luxurious saloon cars from Mercedes-Benz, the 116 was the first to officially use the term S Class.

This would be a seminal car in Mercedes-Benz history, with an emphasis on safety, modern technology and luxury setting it apart from the competition. Almost half a million 116 saloons would be built before the 126 arrived in 1980.

With the arrival of the 116 came a raft of passenger car ‘firsts’ from Mercedes-Benz, including padded door trim around the windows, padded steering wheel , safety padding on the dashboard, dual asymmetric windscreen wipers, headrest with a centre depression, rain water flow management system, pedestrian focused exterior design, ribbed tail lights to keep them cleaner for longer and more. It was also one of the first passenger cars available with an air bag and ABS. As a class leading car in both luxury and safety, the S Class became the quintessential chauffeur driven saloon – a trend that has continued to this day.

At launch in 1972 the W116 had a choice of three engines – two six-cylinder 2.8 litre variants (one with a carburettor and the other with Bosch D-Jetronic fuel injection) and a 3.5 litre V8. A year later in 1973 the 4.5 litre V8 joined the range, introducing the world to the 450SE and SEL, with the L being the 100mm longer. In 1974 the 450SE would win European Car of The Year.

Despite the 1973 Oil Crisis Mercedes-Benz launched the 450SEL 6.9, a performance version of the 116 saloon with the largest engine installed in a post-war Mercedes at the time. With displacement of 6834cc and almost 290hp, the ‘6.9’ became an automotive icon and continues to be the most desirable 116 amongst collectors. Of the 473,035 units made, less than 8,000 were the high performance 6.9.

Although the market is besotted with the more exclusive 6.9, this larger engine also comes with a great deal of responsibility and mechanical fragility. For real world, day to day use, a 4.5 litre 450 is a more sensible choice for most enthusiasts.

The 450SEL shown here has been owned by SLSHOP since 2016, when it was purchased for occasional use. For the last few years it has been used for promotional photographs, magazine articles, and day trips. It has appeared at local classic car shows and been driven by journalists and photographers, taking on lofty roles such as front-page magazine photo shoots and more humble day-to-day trips to the local coffee shop. It has even appeared on a school run on a number of occasions.

Finished in Light Ivory with Black Leather, it benefits from some choice options including Headlamp Wash Wipe (600), Heat Insulating Glass (592) and Behr Air Conditioner (580). Standard features that make this the perfect classic for regular use include the automatic gearbox, electric windows all round, central locking and of course, a large opening sunroof.

Inside there is plenty of space for passengers front and rear, with the big steering wheel giving a real sense of occasion.

The history file shows a picture of a carefully looked after car, with all Main Dealer service stamps from 1976 to 1990, with an SLSHOP stamp dated 2016 when the car first appeared on our radar. All the correct service books and manuals are present in the plastic sleeve, along with a detailed file on maintenance and many old MOTs.

This is a cherished and well-loved member of the SLSHOP family, a car that we have enjoyed and one that we will be sorry to wave down the drive.

An excellent opportunity to get behind the wheel of a desirable and low mileage 450SEL, one of the finest saloon cars built by Mercedes-Benz and the grandfather of today’s S Class.

The perfect form of transport to use for Goodwood, for events, for touring and as we have proven… the school run.

Incredibly rare in this condition and very smart transport for four.

*(All vehicles built on or before 1979 are exempt from road tax, on a one year rolling basis, assuming no further changes to this in forthcoming budgets)

This Mercedes-Benz has been hand-picked by SLSHOP’s sales team due to its high calibre status. Every inch of this vehicle’s exterior, interior and mechanicals have been inspected by SLSHOP’s workshops to ensure the vehicle meets our world leading standards. While every effort has been made to offer pristine vehicles, there will be some age-related marks, unless otherwise stated.

PDI 9th September 1976 Majestic Garage (MB) Somerford, Christchurch 577 miles 20th September 1976 Majestic Garage (MB) Somerford, Christchurch 5,388 miles 9th August 1977 Majestic Garage (MB) Somerford, Christchurch 11,069 miles 20th October 1977 Majestic Garage (MB) Somerford, Christchurch 19,212 miles 4th July 1978 Majestic Garage (MB) Somerford, Christchurch 20,879 miles 2nd July 1979 Majestic Garage (MB) Somerford, Christchurch 25,051 miles 20th May 1980 Majestic Garage (MB) Somerford, Christchurch 28,862 miles 3rd September 1981 Majestic Garage (MB) Somerford, Christchurch 32,510 miles 1st November 1982 Majestic Garage (MB) Somerford, Christchurch 39,016 miles 10th June 1985 Majestic Garage (MB) Bournemouth 42,310 miles 18th June 1990 Majestic Garage (MB) Bournemouth 52,600 miles 29th November 2016 SLSHOP Limited

3 Speed Automatic Central locking Electric Sunroof Electric Windows Power Steering Heated Rear Screen Period Hub caps 592 HEAT-INSULATING GLASS, ALL-AROUND, HEATED REAR WINDOW PANE (LAMINATED GLASS), BAND FILTER 580 BEHR AIR CONDITIONER 600 HEADLAMP WIPER/WASHER 622 VERSION FOR GREAT-BRITAIN