Seven Hills Motorcars is very proud to offer this 1974 Mercedes Benz 450SEL in excellent condition. It looks nice, runs great, and is an awesome driver. Remarkably, this is a true "one-owner" vehicle and we purchased the car from the original owner that bought it brand new in 1973. We still have a copy of the original title from 1973. The car has excellent service history and comes with receipts for over $3,200 from the dealer in maintenance from February of 2017. There are also some stamps in the service book from the Mercedes dealer for the scheduled maintenance. The market on classic Mercedes sedans is hot right now and this example is priced to sell. The low original mileage is also verified not only by the condition of the car, but also by the clear Ohio title showing the mileage as "Actual."
I have personally put over 230 miles on this 450SEL and during that time the car was flawlessly reliable with absolutely no issues and a pleasure to drive. This is an excellent opportunity to own a classic Mercedes that is ready to be used and enjoyed at an unbeatable value. One could easily buy this car now and sell it for more than the purchase price in years to come. This Mercedes is finished in the beautiful and highly desirable color combination of Deep Blue (920) over Mushroom interior (265). This is the correct and original color scheme as verified by the codes on the data tag by the radiator and vehicle data card both pictured below. Please peruse all of the photos, video, and other information below to get a true sense of clean and nice this Mercedes really is.
Also included with the car are the original owners manual, metal plate with the original owners name and car information, books, tool kit, spare tire and rim, jack, maintenance booklet, Becker radio cards, emission system manual, warranty booklet, and miscellaneous other items from when the car was sold new, which are all pictured below.
As a side note, this Mercedes is not a dealer auction vehicle. We hand pick each car after careful inspection. Our classics come from owners who expect their cars to go to someone that will give the vehicle the same care and attention as they did. We invite and encourage you to examine the car in person or have the car inspected. Please take the time to scrutinize each picture. We photograph each vehicle to the greatest extent so you can feel confident about your purchase. If you have a question about the 560SL, just give us a call.
Exterior
The Deep Blue exterior is in great driver condition condition. As one can see in the photos, the paint has a brilliant gloss, deep shine, and smooth finish. We have seen no paint lines, overspray, or other signs of paintwork at all. The previous owner, who has owned the car for its entire life, said that the car has never been in any kind of accident and has never had any paint work. All of the doors open and shut nicely; it has that solid Mercedes touch and feels like a vault door closing. The car exhibits great body panel fit overall. The wheels are in great shape with a nice finish. The Bridgestone tires look almost brand new and have about 90% tread left. There are no major imperfections that have been intentionally excluded from the photos. There are some blemishes around the car that are too small to show up in the photos, but nothing that is really noticeable from about five or ten feet away. We have also included specific photos of the rockers, lower front and rear quarter panels, and other areas on the car most prone to rust to show how it looks.
Interior
The all original Mushroom interior of the 450SEL looks very nice. The seats do show some age, but are in good condition with no rips, tears, or excessive wear. According the previous owner this car has had sheepskin seat covers over the front seats since the car was new. The seat is not worn in the typical area on the driver's bolster where the driver gets in and out. The carpet looks good for being original, but does have some spots of wear that are visible in the photos. All of the gauges faces are crisp and the lenses are clear. The dash is in good condition with no fading or sun damage. There is one crack in the dash visible in the photos. The original door panels look great with no cracks or splits, and the door pulls are solid and in tact. The wood trim looks nice overall with no fading; there are some very fine hairline cracks in the wood that were too small to show up in the photos. The package tray behind the rear seats looks great with no warping, fading, or sun damage. The trunk is very clean and nicely detailed with the original spare tire and rim, jack, trunk mat, and tool kit with the correct Mercedes wrenches.
The nice condition of this original interior is a huge testament to the meticulous care and attention this Mercedes has received throughout its life.
Mechanical
This 450SEL appears to be in very nice mechanical condition. As stated above this car has over $3,200 in receipts for maintenance from last year. I have personally put over 230 miles on the car with absolutely no issues. The engine starts right away every time and runs well. It is an exceptional driver that feels nice on the road and at highway speeds. In the video below one can observe the car accelerating on the highway up to about 70mph, shifting through all the gears, braking to a stoplight, and going through some curves. Please note that it runs great, there are no strange noises or vibrations, and the car performs quite nice overall. The brakes are responsive and do not pull to one side or the other. The brakes were recently serviced by the Mercedes dealer with the receipt pictured below. There is no blue smoke when starting or driving the car. It runs cool and does not overheat. The gauge shows that the engine makes great oil pressure. Also, the engine bay is clean, nicely detailed, and correct as one can see from the photos.
Please note in the video that the warning lights work properly. They light up when the key is first turned on and then go off when the engine is started. There are no "check engine" or other warning lights that stay on. All of the gauges work as do all the exterior lights, indicators, rear defroster, and wipers. The right front window and the power sunroof work, but need a hand to help close. The horn and blower for the heater and a/c do not work. The original radio is still with the car, it makes noise but does not pick up stations. Most importantly the dash has never been cut or modified for an aftermarket installation. This Mercedes is smooth and quick with the V8 engine. Not enough can be said as to how much of a pleasure it is to drive this car.
Overall Condition
Overall, this 1974 450SEL is in excellent driver condition and is a true bargain at our asking price. It is amazing rare to find a one owner Mercedes from 1974. The market on classic Mercedes is very strong right now, particularly for original examples like this car. This Mercedes is a great value and will only appreciate over time. Someone could easily enjoy this vehicle for several years and sell it for more than the purchase price with minimal effort.
