1977 Mercedes-Benz 450 Series Sedan

The Mercedes-Benz W116 Series was built from September 1972 until 1980. These were the first Mercedes-Benz models to officially be called S-Class, although earlier sedan models were unofficially designated with the letter 'S' - for Sonderklasse or 'special class.'

For 1977, the 450SE was dropped, but the other two variants remained - the 450SEL and 450SLC. Also available was the 6.9 version with was distinguished with 6.9 emblems and wider wheels and tires. What really distinguished the 6.9 from the other 450 Series was the 6.9-liter M100 V8 engine that offered 250 horsepower. It had self-leveling hydro-pneumatic suspension, dry-sump lubrication, and Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection. For 1977, just 462 examples of the 6.9 were exported to the North American market. 1977 was the first model year that the 6.9 met all U.S. federal standards. From 1975 through 1981, Mercedes-Benz built 7,380 similar examples. Of those, just 1,816 examples were sold in the United States over the seven-year availability period.

This Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL is powered by an overhead-cam eight-cylinder engine offering 180 horsepower and fitted with hydraulic valve lifters and a Bosch fuel injection system. It has an automatic transmission and disc brakes.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2018