1980 Mercedes-Benz 300SD Sedan

The  Mercedes-Benz W116 is a series of flagship luxury sedans produced from September 1972 until 1980.  The W116 automobiles were the first Mercedes-Benz models to be officially called S-Class, although earlier sedan models had already unofficially been designated with the letter 'S' – for Sonderklasse or "special class".   The W116 was selected European Car of the Year in 1974.  The 'new' S-class generation development began in 1966, which was only a year after the launch of the W108/09.  This was the first Mercedes saloon to feature the brand new corporate styling theme which was to be continued until 1993 when the 190 was discontinued. The design, finalized in December 1969 was a dramatic leap forward, with more masculine lines that combined to create an elegant and sporty character.  The basic design concept carried through the themes originally introduced on the R107SL-Class roadster, especially the front and rear lights.  As for the SL, the W116 received the ridged lamp covers which kept dirt accumulation at bay; this was to remain a Mercedes-Benz design theme into the 21st century.  The W116 was Friedrich Geiger's last design for Mercedes-Benz; his career had started with the Mercedes-Benz 500K in 1933.

For consignment, an all stock, unmolested but in need of some TLC 1980 Benz 300SD sedan.  A clacker if you will, now showing 264,496 well served miles, (hey its a diesel so this is only about halfway through its life span), and to quote a little snippet from a car magazine from sometime when these cars were new in 1978-1980.  It reads, ”In the final analysis, that's what makes the 300SD such a special car.  It is prestigious as anything but a Rolls, but also frugal as an economy car and faster over the road than almost anything. It also feels so secure.  All things considered, including the fuel economy, the 300SD is the best sedan in the world.  Period.”

Exterior
China Blue, the original color, is found on the exterior and shows with various chips, wear off, and spots of surface rust and invasive rust on the lower rocker panels.  Straight heavy gauge steel for this diesel, built like a Panzer tank, that sports well minded gaps are noted throughout the body.  A chromed and blacked out central eggcrate grille with the tri-pointed star atop has the headlights and very European chrome bumper over riders mounted just below the headlight bezels.  A shiny chromed bumper is below and has a rubber strip running through its center along with black rubber bumperettes.  A thin chromed trimming runs the length of the car and floats between the 4 doors, one at the mid body line and another above the rockers that melts into the chrome wheel well molding front and rear.  Those chrome bumpers, brite work, and badging all remain in very good used condition.  Well polished stainless trimming highlights the factory tinted glass all around and looks just fab.  The wheels are standard Mercedes Benz 14-inch and the tires, in 195/75R14 format, are from the 48th week of 2000 and are showing their age.

Interior
Smooth leather and perforated MB-Tex in a medium blue color in nice condition covers the bucket seats in front and bench seat in back.  Some soiling, mold, and staining is seen on the upholstery, but overall things remain tear and rip free.  Lightly soiled deep pile Navy Blue carpeting covers all the lower surfaces, and is well preserved and shows little wear thanks to the blue carpeted mats!  A carpeted dash cover is up top on the dash houses all correct gauges along with climate controls, and lots of black forest walnut veneer seen mixing in with the blue vinyl coverings of the console and dash top.  An aftermarket AM/FM/Cassette radio by Pioneer is nestled between the dash, and the console holds the power window, dial switch, and emergency flasher rocker switches.  All this is lightly soiled and the veneer is showing some wear.  A nice tight and white perforated vinyl headliner is above and provides wonderful contrast to the sea of blue.  A shout out to the truck with its gray felted liners and cavernous cargo space.

Drivetrain
An inline 5 cylinder Turbo Diesel engine, (3.0 L), fed by Bosch direct injection is coupled with a Daimler-Benz 4-speed automatic transmission to take you smoothly and slowly up to speed.  A healthy dose of patina is noted, but overall things are looking very factory correct on the cast parts bolted on to this 5 cylinder.  The rear axle weighs in at a 3.07 ratio.

Undercarriage
A mix of road dirt, patina and rust greets us underneath.  This rust includes the surface variety along with heavy invasive rust on the rockers as well as the areas near the front of the rear control arm mounts and a few spots in the flooring.  The unibody construction remains solid and for the suspension parts we see independent coil springs for every corner.  Power disc brakes on the corners and single exhaust are also noted for this diesel Mercedes.

Drive-Ability
As a test drive revealed, this car takes just a small lapse of time for that turbo to kick in, but when it does, the car accelerates to any car of today's standards.  It is a bit slow and your judgement will need to acclimate to this which is typical of this era D's.  The AC did not blow cold and with the amount of mold on the upholstery we were forced us to keep our drive time short.  We also noted that the engine does not turn off with the key.  You must lift the hood and hold back the orange painted injector pump shut off.

Most definitely in need of some TLC on the exterior and undercarriage to remediate rust, along with a thorough cleaning of the interior to bring things up to snuff.  But once done you'll have a classic Turbo Diesel Mercedes that will keep ticking like a clock that appears literally like new.  Unlike earlier non-turbo models, this car can keep up with today's fast moving vehicles with turbo acceleration and diesel durability, and don't forget Mercedes-Benz reliability and build quality.

Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special interest automobile showroom, featuring over 850 vehicles for sale with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle barn find collection is on display. This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914. Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.