Mercedes sedans of the 1960s and 1970s seem to be true automotive bargains – fully depreciated but beautifully built, and sure, while service parts cost more than for a similarly priced American luxury car, every car enthusiast should experience one at least once. And if you want that rumbly V8 noise, a Mercedes with the M117 will do that too, and scoot you to 60 in a respectable 8.5 seconds, using its copious power and torque to get you there. Mercedes enthusiasts in North America will also know the W116 only came with the tidier, smaller world-market bumpers in 1972 and 1973, so check out this 1973 Mercedes 450 SE for sale for $3500 in Lynnwood, WA.
Byzantine Gold Metallic is the perfect color for the nascent disco era – you could easily imagine this car as part of a street scene from a period action movie. The exterior is said to rank 9.5 out of 10, so it would be interesting to hear from the seller where the missing half point went. Tires are said to be brand new, and mileage is stated as 144,000.
Only one car ranked above this one, and that was the 6.9. Has anyone tried sticking a 5.0 or 5.6 liter V8 under the hood of a W116 for extra fun? Impressively, the seller offers paperwork to back up all the work that’s been done here, without mentioning any highlights. Even the air conditioning is said to work properly, and the car has era-correct green-on-white Washington plates.
The seller claims the interior ranks 10 out of 10, and from what little is visible in the photographs, that description is pretty accurate. Seats are in good shape without any of the usual sagginess, and the hard-wearing upholstery – hopefully MB Tex – is in excellent condition with no visible damage. Perhaps with a better set of pictures and description, as well as thorough attention to getting everything on the service checklist, you could still be in the black when selling time comes around.
So clean back there – even the nooks and crannies in the door jamb look good. While you’ll be suffering high gas bills, they won’t be any more than an American contemporary’s, and you’ll have that special feeling you only get in older Mercedes. Would this one be your pick?
Rusty But Trusty 
December 29, 2015 at 8:25 am |
nice find, ,I like the color also.
December 30, 2015 at 3:11 am |
This one is local to me. There’s almost always a few reasonably priced old Mercedes in the Puget Sound area. I’m not sure about the color on this one but I do think some wire wheels would be a good fit. Looks like an exceptionally clean and well cared for example of a nice solid car. These drive just as good as any new car on the road and the feel is pure quality