1985 MERCEDES BENZ 500SEL SEDAN, 1-OWNER SINCE NEW, BASEBALL CELEBRITY #23 NY

Description

Attention Baseball fans!!! Don't miss your chance to own the 500SEL that NY Yankees first baseman Don Mattingly purchased new in 1985 and is still owned by his family (son) today!
Serious bidders only - bids from buyers with "0" feedback will be cancelled. If this pertains to you, please contact me before bidding!

Additional Info:
(VIN: WDBCA37D9FA182299), anthracite grey met. / light grey MBTex interior, 4-speed auto trans, 93,430 original miles. It's hard to imagine a 1980’s car that was more iconic or better built and
more over-engineered than the majestic W126. It’s one of the last true hand built Mercedes-Benz sedans that had bank-vault like build quality. Introduced to the public in 1980, 1985 was the last
year the 500SEL was available for the U.S. market, but continued in Europe until 1991. This example was built in 07/1985 and was purchased new in New Jersey by New York Yankee 1st
baseman Don Mattingly on 09/25/1985. This was the same year that Don won the AL MVP award. It is in excellent condition inside and out and the CarFax shows no accidents. It was owned
by Don until 08/11/2009 when ownership was transferred to his son Jordan, at 85,190 miles. The car was driven by his son from then until about 3 years ago when he started driving a Suburban
and the Mercedes was parked and used only on special occasions. In the Summer of 2017 we retrieved the car from their car barn and sent it to local marque specialist Foreign Performance
where the fuel was drained from the tank and the car was completely inspected and serviced incl the water pump, belts, hoses etc. We installed a new set of BF Goodrich Advantage T/A tires
and completely detailed this W126 inside and out! The family debated keeping the car and finally decided to put it on the market and let it go to a new home. The car is pretty much stock except
for a set of aftermarket chrome 16” rims, it has been lowered to Euro ride height and has a cat-back dual exhaust system installed. It runs and drives very well and is cosmetically excellent! If
you are a baseball fan the new owner can receive some autographed items from Don, a photo of him with the car, etc. Overall an extremely nice example of a W126 with low original mileage
and 1-family athlete celebrity ownership.
Options:

Four-speed automatic transmission with a topographical sensor to monitor the vehicle and gas pedal position. The transmission
was the first to reduce acceleration on a downhill and maintain position without the use of brake pedal after coming to a complete
stop on a steep incline. The transmission also featured a limp mode in case of electronic failure. The transmission was designed
to start in second gear for a smoother launch and could be switched on and off in European and North American models with an
S/W switch to allow for a more performance orientated response when needed.
Anti-lock braking system, ABS (introduced in the W116) was optional until 1986 in all models except the 500SEL and 500 SEC
which came with ABS as standard equipment.
Mercedes-Benz was the first to offer a traction control system (TCS) or acceleration slip regulation (ASR) to prevent wheel spin.
Mercedes -Benz offered the first cruise control system that self adjusted to maintain a constant speed regardless of incline or
decline in the road surface.
Two-way powered, dual stage heated rear "Chesterfield" bench seat (pre-1990 SEL) with four-way manually adjustable rear
headrests standard on the 500 and 560SEL models.
Driver side airbags were introduced on the 1981 models. The passenger side airbag was introduced in 1986 as an option (standard
from 1985 on 500 SEL and SEC) and standard on all models in 1991.
Eight-way powered, dual stage heated front seats, with two setting memory functions for both front occupants to retain positions of
power adjustable steering column and seat position for driver; and seat position for front passenger. The seat heaters were standard
on the 560SEL / SEC, and an option on other models.
Power tilt & sliding sunroof. Power and heated front *and* rear seats. Power steering wheel. Lowered to Euro height, chrome rims.
Crumple zones to absorb impact during an accident.
Seat belt pre tensioners that provided a loose fitting belt under normal driving conditions and tightened when the car sensed
conditions that could lead to an accident such as sudden braking.
A fully automatic climate control system that used an interior temperature sensor to adjust the interior heating or cooling.
W126 Specifications:
Engine manufacturer: Daimler-Benz M117 E50
Engine type: spark-ignition 4-stroke
Fuel type: petrol (gasoline)
Fuel system: Bosch K-Jetronic indirect injection
Charge system: naturally aspirated
Valves per cylinder: 2
Cylinders alignment: V 8
Displacement: 4,973 cm3 / 303.9 cui
Horsepower net: 170 kW / 231 PS / 228 hp (DIN)
Torque net: 405 Nm / 299 ft-lb
Transmission: 4 speed automatic
Brakes: Front disc / rear disc with ABS
Power Steering: Recirculating ball
Front Suspension: Independent
Rear Suspension: Independent
Length: 5,135 mm / 202.2 in
Width: 1,820 mm / 71.7 in
Height: 1,440 mm / 56.7 in
Wheelbase: 3,070 mm / 120.9 in
Fuel capacity: 90 liter / 23.8 U.S. gal / 19.8 imp. gal
Drag coefficient (Cw-Wert): 0.37
1985 Mercedes-Benz 500SEL: Resplendent in its Four Place Glory ...
By Reed Hitchcock
We have written a lot about the Mercedes W126 S-class (you know, when we get around to writing at all!), but for me that’s largely because they are among the best luxo-barges ever produced. Modern enough to offer an excellent driving experience, and old enough that they’re not entirely bogged-down with technology certain to strand you in some catastrophic symphony of warning lights. Besides, they are so completely logical in their engineering and design – my Dad always referred to his as fitting together like a Chinese puzzle – that even incompetent hack mechanics like me can wrench on them.
Okay, first things first: given the choice I would prefer either a Euro-spec 500 or a U.S.-spec 560 to a U.S. 500, mainly due to the fact that for our market the good folks made them heavier to comply with DOT and made them slower to deal with EPA. In fact, in U.S. specification the 500SEL’s 5.0 liter M117 V8 delivered only a paltry 184hp, although torque at 247 lb/ft meant that acceleration was perfectly acceptable for the day in the low-mid 8 second range to 60 mph and top speed was well over 134mph. That said, the Euro 5.0 and the 5.6 liter M117s could pull 6.5-7.2 second 0-60 times and top speeds nearing 150mph. Regardless, the U.S. 500SEL is a very nice cruiser and can certainly get out of its own way – and at this point I would assert that condition and options can trump some of the debate about power plants.
There are a couple of things, however, that would most definitely need to be addressed on this car. First, those headlights. It’s no secret among my Car Geek friends that I loathe U.S. specification headlights on any classic Mercedes. The W126, in particular, was designed with aerodynamics at the forefront of the thought process. To then slap these hideous sealed-beam atrocities with the profile of small billboards on the otherwise sleek front end – well, it just needs to be corrected. Budget about $500 for the job, assuming you can follow simple instructions and do it yourself. Second, by today’s standards, the 14" wheels are simply substandard. Besides, it’s hard to even find decent rubber in the right size. As a purist, I am a fan of OEM-style 15" “bundt” alloys which can be found all day long on eBay for between $800 and $1,200 for a set, but there are cheaper and larger options that work alright, the best of which for my money being the Tire Rack ASA 16" 8-hole style which can be had for about $450 / set. 16-hole 15" late W126 alloys are also a common upgrade. Any of these will improve handling somewhat and open up the choice of available tires. And they all fill the wheel wells nicely. The final exterior touch would be to replace the big U.S. bumpers with the svelte European versions, but to me that’s more time and money than it’s worth. I will tell you that the TTS team is divided on this matter….
It is this back seat, however, that makes this car special. Ticking the order box for this option basically gave buyers the “executive” package complete with individual heated, reclining rear seats with no center seat – assumedly because you need that space for your very important paperwork or your slick 80s-era mobile phone suitcase or portable fax machine. It’s pretty trick, and you’re not likely to see another W126 with this option at your local Mercedes concours. All that would make this option even more rare would be either velour (which would likely have long ago disintegrated) or buffalo leather – which is really a pretty awesome suede-ish leather which was saved for the most exclusive of executive sedans like this and the BMW 745i.
And at this point you may be wondering what the big deal is, but that’s just it: you have to be a special brand of geek for this to turn you on, and I wouldn’t look at this feature as some great future collectible Mercedes thing. With over 800,000 126 cars produced, these will never be Gullwing collectible – especially the sedans. In the spirit of full disclosure, as I write this I am impatiently awaiting the arrival of my own W126 sedan – a 300SD. I’m buying it because I am partial to the diesel, and mine comes with the fairly-unusual-for-the-1985-and-earlier rear headrest option. It ain’t four place seats, but it’s still tickles my inner Geek. Regardless of the W126, a well-maintained one, even 24 years-on from the newest one, can be a reliable daily driver with both gas- and diesel-powered versions delivering mileage well over 400,000 without major rebuild. Change the oil, tend to the little things, and drive it until it dies. Or (and maybe more likely) until you do.


We do have a complete collection of photographs that document every aspect of this vehicle, so please request them! And be sure to mail us if you have any questions! Please also keep in mind that this vehicle is being advertised via other retail venues, so we reserve the right to cancel this auction at any time and without notice.
Bid with confidence - we have been a member of eBay since November 1998 and we have a 100% feedback rating!! We do have a complete collection of photographs that document every aspect of this vehicle, so please request them! And be sure to mail us if you have any questions! Please also keep in mind that this vehicle is being advertised via other retail venues, so we reserve the right to cancel this auction at any time and without notice.
God bless and good luck in bidding!

*This vehicle is located in Southern Indiana - more information or photographs are available upon on request. While every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the description of this vehicle, mistakes regarding hp ratings, options, etc. can be made. I have also done my best to be very honest and very critical about the cosmetic and mechanical condition of this vehicle. Of course, it is not always possible to pick-up on every minor detail or flaw. Please keep expectations realistic as this is a pre-owned vehicle, and I have personally found blemishes on brand new un-driven vehicles. If you are an exceptionally detailed oriented person, please contact me to verify any information directly, and I will do my best to specifically photograph anything you request and to answer any of your questions to the best of my ability.