1979 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9: 48K Original Miles, Silver/Blue, Gorgeous Example

Description

Offered for sale is a truly exceptional, low mileage, extremely original 1979 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9, finished in factory correct and ever-popular Astral Silver Metallic (DB 735) over a dark blue leather interior. Sporting only 48k original miles and correspondingly negligible wear, this W116 6.9 is arguably as fine as any available on the market today, the very best of Mercedes' very best. Sporting the fabled M100 6.9L V8 engine, a hydro-pneumatic self-leveling suspension and more technological advancements than any other car available at the time, owning this wolf in sheep's clothing new was reserved for only the most discriminating and, at a sticker price of more than $50k (more than $165k in today's dollars if adjusting for inflation), moneyed buyers. Unfortunately the cars were also comparably expensive to maintain, causing a vast majority of them to fall into disrepair in their secondary or tertiary owners' care. Finding exceptionally clean, well-maintained and low mileage examples is virtually impossible, despite the fact that their popularity with collectors has realized a significant resurgence.

Sold new by Chariot Motors of Poughkeepsie, NY to its first owner in Hallandale, Florida, the car comes with its original window sticker, denoting a fully loaded example delivered in July of 1979 with a sales price of $50,190.00. This is actually the second time we're offering this gorgeous example for sale, having sold it to a Southern California enthusiast in 2014. In two years the car has only accrued an additional 4k miles, which is representative of it's existence from new. Sparingly used but always kept up, garaged and cared for, the car remains in fantastic condition throughout.

The Astral Silver finish is entirely consistent, deep and lustrous, marred only by the most insignificant of imperfections, none of which appear in any of the pictures. The body is entirely straight, free of any evidence of accident repairs and with consistent, correct gaps and panel fits. The chrome is in excellent original condition, as is the glass and rubber, and the light alloy wheels are flawless and wrapped in Michelin tires with plenty of remaining tread. The car's interior is equally as clean, the blue leather seats showing only negligible wear with flawless carpets, interior panels, dash and headliner. Everything works, including the air conditioning system (which blows cold) and all of the power windows and sunroof. The trunk is clean and correct and the car's undercarriage is original and entirely solid, never subjected to the elements and free of cancerous corrosion. The glovebox houses the spare keys and all of the original books and manuals, including the original window sticker.

The car is fantastic mechanically, its massive V8 starting easily, idling consistently and pulling strongly and smoothly through each of the gears. Compression is excellent, allowing this German muscle car to accelerate with robust, stable force. As with all Mercedes models of this generation, tank-like build quality and a devotion to over-engineering – especially coupled with the hydro-pneumatic suspension – creates a ride quality that was second to none at the time and is still astonishing today. The car is road-ready and a joy to drive, whether tooling through town or bombing down the highway.

This is an excellent opportunity to acquire what is undoubtedly one of the best, lowest mileage examples of the legendary 6.9 available on the market. As rare and iconic Mercedes models continue to appreciate, this is assuredly one of the models to have, one of the last true Mercedes classics in hard-to-find, immaculate condition.