1978 Mercedes-Benz S-Class 350 SE W116 sedan

Description

Mercedes Benz
350 SE
W116
1978
Very original presenting, darling example of a W116 350 SE sedan!
T
his is a truly lovely European specification Mercedes 350SE sedan. Finished in "Gray-Blue" metallic (code: 906) with Navy MB-tex and Mercedes check cloth inserts, the car presents in stunning and certainly way above average condition.
The most welcomed aspect to these Euro spec cars is the streamlined bumpers and rectangular headlights which are indeed a great welcome over the very obtrusive (and ugly) North American type bumpers and silly (and even more ugly) round headlights.
The car was owned by a senior Mercedes enthusiast in Colorado for the last 7 years but was a Californian & Texan car for most of its life so it is without any rust anywhere, including the underside which is entirely scale free.
The car has had 3 owners (first in
California
and then
Texas
) who added most of the mileage as a town commuter. Recently serviced and all in working order. Mechanically the car is in top shape with no known issues. Just a quick look under the hood is testament to how well this Mercedes has been maintained.
Body and paint is excellent. The car is accident free and the paint appears to be mostly original but for the right rear quarter near the gas cap which had a blend. The entire car is very shiny and consistent with only minor chips here and there but nothing glaringly so. There is no crazing or cracks in the paint anywhere.
The interior is in superb condition. She is in great shape with no noticeable wear & tear on the seats, door panels, the MB-Tex finishes, carpets and headliner. The seats themselves are in excellent condition without any degradation of the "horse-hair" padding. The cloth seating is in almost perfect condition to the extent you would think it was brand new. It is not and indeed all original.  The dash does have a few of the typical cracks but a top-line dash cap is fitted and does so with such perfection, it is hard to tell it is not original. The wood has minimal fading, no lifting or peeling and presents extremely well. Have a close look at the buttons and switch gear; they are all in good condition. The car sports its original Becker radio which is always a nice touch.
I was wanting to fit matching cloth rear-seat headrests. I have one original cloth unit (which you will see in some of the photos) and all the hardware, along with the required quantity of new old stock matching fabric. Please let me know if you would want me to finish the exercise for a small additional cost.
The trunk is super clean with its original carpet and additional rubber mat in good condition. She is also a non-smoker car so clean and sweet.
The car presents with all its original features operating; electric windows, door locks, antenna, original Becker radio, A/C, heater, interior and exterior lights.
Tyres are brand new, fitted on original MB chromed alloy wheels. I am usually not a big fan of these chromed wheels but believe they "work" on this car. Should you wish to switch to silver alloys or hubcaps, I can assist you in supplying and fitting either. A set of Mercedes mud-flaps with white logos finish off this example nicely, I think. These can easily be removed if they are "not you".
Mechanically, the car is very strong. She starts without hesitation, idles well both cold & hot, doesn't blow any smoke, accelerates with good power, drives smooth without any bumps nor rattles, changes gears on call & smoothly, and stops straight & sure. She simply drives as a Mercedes W116 should.
Not much more can be said but to invite you to take a close look at the many, many photos of this great Mercedes 350 SE sedan. Truly in excellent condition, not a show-car but an absolutely beautiful and mouth-watering example nonetheless. Surely amongst one of the better examples available for sale today.
Please see many additional photos at this link here:
Click HERE to see additional photos!
Short walk-around and test drive video
Click HERE to watch VIDEO
Please see many additional photos at this link here:
Click HERE to see additional photos!
Short walk-around and test drive video
Click HERE to watch VIDEO
**PLEASE read auction terms and conditions below BEFORE bidding.**
~~oo00oo~~
This Mercedes is part of a private collection. Although licensed and bonded, I am not a main-stream retail car dealer or broker; I am a professional car collector of some 30 years with considerable experience and knowledge of British cars. I have a long standing reputation being associated with the Rolls-Royce marque which I take seriously. I take pride in my cars and have fun in collecting and restoring them. However, auctions are not a game so when you place a bid or offer, and you are the winning bidder, please understand you have entered a binding contract. You cannot bid and win the auction and expect not to meet the terms and conditions. Bidding and/or winning does not mean you are expecting me to “hold” the car until you have the opportunity to inspect it. Any inspection contemplated should be undertaken BEFORE you bid or make an offer and I openly welcome any potential buyer to come and personally inspect the car. Once you bid or make an offer, you are doing so to buy WITHOUT conditions. Your bid can not be subject to anything. A 00.00 deposit (non-refundable) is required within 24 hours of the close of the auction and payable by PayPal. The balance of funds are required within 7 days of the close of the auction and must be provided by cashier’s check or bank wire. I cannot accept PayPal for the balance unless you are willing to meet the cost of transfer fees. Full payment must be made (and payments cleared) before the title and/or the vehicle is released. All payments are non-refundable. Payments as described above form an important part of this purchase contract and so, if all the funds are not received as outlined above, I reserve the right to terminate the transaction without notice. If there has been any deposit or other part payments received and I elect to terminate the contract, I reserve the right to keep any such deposits or payments and resell the vehicle to another bidder or interested party or re-list the vehicle at any time. To be clear, if you change your mind for ANY reason and do not complete the transaction in the time-frame required, you will forfeit your deposit. I am happy to assist with shipping arrangements on a national and worldwide basis but the winning bidder takes full responsibility for pickup and/or shipping and at his cost.
As a collector and experienced restorer of a range of classic cars, I make every effort to bring my cars to a high standard. By comparison, my cars are generally superior to others available but they are by no means perfect. You must expect some issues. Unless specifically stated, the car is not of show standard but of nice "driver" condition. Please understand, show cars cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to achieve and sell for prices commensurate, so the sale price of this car reflects its relative condition. You are buying "condition" accordingly. Buyers should not expect to receive concours quality or "perfect" cars at these prices. Please also understand it is not always possible to attend to every item, or perhaps I may have inadvertently overlooked items. Further, and very importantly, these cars are not new. So this means a 38 year old car is predominantly comprised of 38 year old parts. And old parts will fail. All buyers must understand and expect that things can or will wear out, break and/or stop functioning without notice. This is even more likely with hand-built English cars of early technology when compared to the typical American car of the same vintage. Suspension and brakes on these cars are complex. We thoroughly check them and replace things that are identified faulty. But please understand, by example; if we change a brake line because it appears aged or faulty, we do NOT at the same time replace all other hoses because they are of similar age. This is considered "preventative maintenance". We do not do this unless specifically requested and is not included in the purchase price. Feel free to ask for this additional service. Further, a feature or function that is working perfectly one moment, may decide to play-up the next. After all, it is some 38 years old. This is the nature of any used car and especially British cars. For this reason it is necessary for the following condition:
The vehicle is being sold "as-is/where-is" with no warranty expressed, written or implied. Any descriptions or representations are made with reasonable judgment and all efforts are made to ensure fair assessment and accuracy but they are for descriptive and identification purposes only and are not to be construed as a warranty of any type. The seller shall not be responsible for errors in description, authenticity, genuineness, or defects herein and makes no warranty in connection therewith. If any aspect of the description contradicts what can be seen in the photos, then the photos shall prevail as the reference point. No allowance or set aside will be made on account of any incorrectness, unforeseen imperfection, defect or damage. It is the responsibility of the buyer to have satisfied himself as to the condition and value and to bid based upon that judgment solely. The seller shall and will make every reasonable effort to disclose any known defects at the buyer’s request prior to the close of the auction. Seller assumes no responsibility for any repairs regardless of any written or oral statements about the vehicle. Being a classic car in excess of 10 years of age, in most
US
states, the mileage may be recorded as “exempt”. In this regard the seller makes no warranties as to the accuracy of the mileage indicated or shown. I can hold the vehicle up to 30 days while you arrange shipping but you must immediately insure it. I will not bear any responsibility for any additional costs including storage, transportation, or repair after the close of the auction. Whereas I am happy to store the car in excess of 30 days from auction end, a cost of per day shall apply beyond 30 days of auction end. Also, you must remember that this is a 38 year old vehicle, and while it is up to you, I do not recommend that you just “hop in and drive it across the country” until you have familiarised yourself with the car. At least, I have never done that. I have always professionally transported the cars in enclosed carriers from where I bought them to my home.
PLEASE; IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO ABIDE BY THESE TERMS, CONTACT ME BEFORE YOU CONTEMPLATE DOING SO AS, RESPECTFULLY, THERE CAN BE NO EXCEPTIONS.
I am sorry if these terms seem harsh but there seem to be some very unrealistic buyers out there - fortunately, only few of these people exist but those that do can make life difficult, so it appears EVERYTHING needs to spelled out. Very simply put, this is an old car being offered for sale. It is not new and is subject to the perils of age. Further, Jaguars are not without nuances, idiosyncrasies and they are renown for a host of design issues which can make them not inexpensive to maintain. So, please respect the terms and conditions when you bid.
~~oo00oo~~