The Mercedes that deserved carpets on board: a 450 SEL 6.9, which was in the hands of the same owner for 40 years, put up for sale in Germany

There were periods in history, when a Mercedes first of all meant such a perfectionist quality, that comfort, durability over time, and the image of the desired car were derived from it. And the owners, in turn, usually treated their cars with the respect that such a creation of the engineers deserved, who in turn respected the final buyer when they designed the car and put it into production. Well, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class from the W116 generation was certainly the eloquent representative of that era.

This car was so good, that when the W126 appeared, it was sometimes whispered that the successor no longer lives up to the quality of the W116, and we still talk about the W126 today as a standard of durability. Later, it was said about the W140 that it is far from what the W126 was, and the W140 still remains a legend. So if we were to take these perceptions from the time as a reference, the W116 would probably be the car that was never half talked about. Even the competitors, few at that time, looked at her with admiration and consideration.

And if the normal model was launched in 1972, then in 1975 the version with superlative engine was launched, called 450 SEL 6.9. Yes, under the hood was the M100 6.9-liter V8 engine, which delivered 225 hp. And the car was also equipped as standard with hydropneumatic suspension, based on a technology bought from Citroen, but perfected by Mercedes to eliminate the shortcomings of the system. And, by the way, this model was also the first to use the ABS braking system, from 1978.

The example we are talking about today is just such a Mercedes 450 SEL 6.9, manufactured in 1979. The car was owned for 3 years by its first owner, after which, in 1982, it was bought by the current owner from Germany. And for 40 years, he owned it, treating it as I said at the beginning that some owners treated their Mercedes.

Because it wasn't his only car for a long period of time in these 40 years, he says he never drove it in the winter, and almost never in the rain. He took his W116 regularly for all scheduled maintenance and every time parts were needed, he did so with generosity.

The entire history and dozens of invoices are attached to the car's file, which also certifies the evolution of the number on the odometer to the mere 162,400 km it now indicates.

The interior of the car is made of beige velor, combined with more intense shades. It's in exceptionally good condition for its 40 years, and the German owner was so keen on preserving the ambience of the cabin that he thought this Mercedes deserved floor mats. And we are not talking about rubber mats, but real carpets, from the ones that are put in houses. Some may find this decision bizarre, but this was his way of appreciating his car.

The car has a lot of chrome elements on the body, including in the area of ​​the wings, but the German assures us that these are original accessories, which could once be ticked off in Mercedes showrooms. The BBS rims, however, appear to be wider than the originals, so there is still a dose of customization over the pure genuine in this car.

And yet, it cannot be said that this Mercedes does not look good. On the contrary, it is impossible not to notice it. It is impossible not to look at him with admiration. And it is impossible not to understand from the first that you are dealing with a well-preserved specimen.

How much is it in Germany, on sale now? The price is not small. They are asking 54,900 euros for it. And surely there will be thousands of admirers of the model all over the world, who will say that it is worth the price. After all, only 7,380 copies of the 450 SEL 6.9 were produced, so even if it's a model that many enthusiasts know about, very few get to own one!