1984 Mercedes-Benz 500 SEC

Description

While Mercedes-Benz has always been famous for outstanding build quality, it was the W126 S-class like this 1984 500 SEC that firmly positioned the company as the automotive world's finest purveyor of state-of-the-art technology, too. This impressive low-mile hardtop incorporates luxury features that we today take for granted but were truly ground-breaking thirty years ago.

The 500 SEC was Mercedes-Benz's flagship, a long-wheelbase coupe that incorporated more performance and technology than anything that had come before it. The sleek, aerodynamic look came to define and entire generation of German luxury cars and was an '80s icon for wealth and sophistication. As a result, finding an ultra-clean, well-maintained example like this is quite a treat and you'll unquestionably find that this car still feels quite contemporary. The looks have aged well, and with that sleek silver paint, it looks appropriately subdued for its job. Finish quality is quite good, particularly given that this is an original car, and it fits together with the expected levels of precision. Bumpers are nicely integrated into the design rather than tacked on as with earlier models, and the subtle two-tone with gray lower body cladding helps to disguise the bumpers even further. The big chrome Mercedes grille is as traditional as ever, with the three-pointed star up top defying the wind that seems to have shaped the rest of the car.

The "C" in 500 SEC denotes the coupe version, a personal luxury car that was as big and impressive as its four-door siblings with an added dash of sportiness. Fully upholstered in high-quality black leather, the interior will be familiar to any Mercedes fan and it's a testament to good design that it is so easy to get behind the wheel and feel instantly at ease. The seats, door panels, carpets, and other soft parts are in outstanding condition and seem to defy the decades. Some of the features that were standard on the S-class include automatic climate control, exterior temperature display, and the famous Mercedes-Benz power seat controls, which use a pictogram on the door panels to adjust the heated bucket seats. The A/C system was recently rebuilt and still uses R134a refrigerant and a recent Sony AM/FM/CD stereo head unit replaces the original Becker setup. And despite being a 2-door coupe, the back seat is spacious and the trunk is big enough for everything you'd care to take on your next road trip.

The 5.0-liter V8 engine was the top powerplant in 1984, making 228 horsepower and 329 pounds of torque with incomparable smoothness. The 4-speed automatic transmission starts in second gear unless you really boot it, but this car truly excels on the highway, where it loafs along at triple-digit speeds without apparent effort or sound. Given that this car has only travelled 87,616 miles means that it is hardly broken-in, given Mercedes' products reputation for longevity, and thanks to careful maintenance it remains ready to enjoy. It has a muscular purr from the exhaust, just enough to let you know there are eight cylinders at work but it's never obtrusive. Underneath, it's just as impressive, showing off its low-mileage status and obvious signs of living in a warm climate. And those distinctive Mercedes-Benz alloy wheels were a staple of German luxury for two decades, with this big cruiser wearing 205/70/14 radials all around.

Still impressive after all these years, this is the only sub-$15,000 car that can make its owner feel like a millionaire. This is a Euro imported Mercedes and the correct VIN for the car is WDB1260441A100658. Call today!