Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9. European model with 286 hp / 405 lbf·ft of torque

1979 Mercedes-Benz 400-Series 6.9 Additional Info:

The great opportunity to buy a very rear car - Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9.

Car was imported from Germany to Texas (Grey market in 1980). European model with 286 hp / 405 lbf·ft instead of 250 hp / 360 lbf·ft (North America version).

The 6.9 was the first Mercedes-Benz to be fitted with the hydro-pneumatic self-leveling suspension system. The system is fully functional on this 6.9.

The car has a dash-mounted push-pull knob under the speedometer that raised the car an additional two inches (50 mm) for increased ground clearance. This feature was deleted for the U.S. market, where the height-adjustable suspension was illegal until 1984.

Legendary M-100 engine - a cast-iron V8 with single overhead camshafts. 6834 cc (417 in³).

In the interest of both engine longevity as well as creating some extra space under the hood, a dry-sump engine lubrication system was used. The system circulated twelve quarts of oil between the storage tank and the engine, as opposed to the usual four or five quarts found in V8s with a standard oil pan and oil pump. As a result, the engine itself had no dipstick for checking the oil level. Rather, the dipstick was attached to the inside of the tank's filler cap (accessible from the engine compartment) and the oil level was checked with the engine running and at operating temperature. The dry-sump system also had the benefit of extending the oil change interval to 12,500 miles. This, along with hydraulic valve lifters which required no adjusting and special cylinder head gaskets which eliminated the need for periodic retorquing of the head bolts, made the 6.9 nearly maintenance-free. The 6.9 required little basic service other than the coolant, minor tune-ups, oil changes, and replacement of the air, fuel, oil, and power steering filters.

The top speed is 140 mph.

The stick price for this car was $179K with today’s dollars - the same price as a Rolls-Royce.

The car stayed in the barn since 2004 with 114,750 miles on the speedometer. I purchased this car from the family of a passed away man who collected rare Mercedeses. I just cleaned the fuel system (incl tank), installed a new fuel pump and filter, changed the engine oil, and cleaned up the ignition system. The engine started right away. I did not go any further with restoration. Car rides great, automatic transmission shifts how it should.

The bad:

Paint is faded under the hot Texas sun, need to put a fresh coat of paint to make this car look great.

Few surface rust spots. Surface rust only. Nothing major.

Dashboard cracked. W116 dashboard cover ($50-$90) needs to be purchased and installed.

Passenger front seat and backrest covers need to be replaced. They're in really bad shape.

The rear seat cover needs to be replaced. I already have the whole new replacement seat. Comes with the purchase.

All brake calipers are completely locked and need to be replaced. Practically no breaks. You cannot safely drive this car on public roads, needs to be towed away.

The good:

The engine works great.

Tranny is shifting correctly.

The overall interior is in OK shape (for an old car), excl 2 seats, and the dash.

The hydro-pneumatic self-leveling suspension system works great.

No rust, even rocker panels have no rust. Just a few surface rust spots. Never drove on snow or salty roads. Please see the pictures.

You can see the video of starting the engine, walk around the car and showing raise and drop vehicle when I pulled and pushed the hydro-pneumatic knob -https://youtu.be/8kTzCN5jaWk

Interesting fact - Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 was proclaimed to be "the greatest Mercedes-Benz ever built" by "Car and Driver".

Title in hand.

Good luck with your bidding and don't hesitate to ask any questions. Well, if questions related to the car ;0)

On Nov-08-20 at 20:14:56 PST, seller added the following information:

VIN # is 11603612004983. Somehow ebay put my phone # as a VIN #. Go figure