Vehicle Description
This is it, the ultimate luxury sedan of the 1980s. Seen in movies,
on TV, and any time you needed to have someone look like a
seriously big shot, you used a carlike this 1983 Mercedes-Benz 500
SEL. The long-wheelbase (that's the "L") version was the
Mercedes-Benz flagship and even though it's now 36 years old, this
imposing sedan shows you that these were truly engineered like no
other car in the world.
Still wearing its factory-applied Lapis Blue Metallic paint, this
S-Class exudes quality from every surface. Sure, there are signs of
age, but for your $52,000 (remember, these are 1983 dollars) you
got one heck of an impressive finish, and it's stood the test of
time. It's still shiny and rich-looking, and aside from some light
checking, fading, and the usual imperfections, it should really
respond well to a professional cut and buff. All four doors close
with a well-damped "Whomp," and every single moving part feels like
it's part of a well-oiled mechanism. The gray lower cladding makes
the car look even longer than it is and helps blend the big US-spec
bumpers into the overall look. The grille up front is bright chrome
and should look familiar to, well, just about everyone, and there's
just enough shiny trim to add an upscale look without being
pretentious.
Mercedes-Benz called the tan cloth interior "Velours Grey," but
whatever the name, it's a nice complement to the blue bodywork. In
an era where many Mercedes models were almost austere inside, the
supple fabrics and supportive bucket seats make it all-day
comfortable and quite bright and airy inside. The burled wood
insert on the dash and center console is real wood and definitely
warms things up, and everything you can imagine was standard:
climate control, power windows, locks, and seats, a sunroof, and a
Kenwood AM/FM/CD stereo system. The interior has seen better days,
and a full-blown detail would go a long way, although a few
components will need to be replaced down the line. Thankfully, they
made a bunch of these, so parts are fairly easy to come by. It's
all originally preserved, suggesting that the 157,460 miles it has
covered were enjoyed by owner's who didn't want to mess with the
originality. The rear seats offer limousine-like accommodations for
two and the trunk is massive, perfect for a cross-continent road
trip.
Mercedes-Benz's 5.0 liter SOHC V8 engine delivers the kind of power
that's easy to under-estimate. It's the quintessential luxury car
powerplant, smooth, unobtrusive, but very effective. It's one of
the most robust machines to come out of Stuttgart, from a time when
engineers ruled the company, and it's been properly maintained all
its life. Under the hood there's no evidence that this car has ever
lived in a winter climate, and although it's a bit grimy, it's
definitely solid. The 4-speed automatic transmission provides
effortless high-speed cruising, and while the transmission starts
in 2nd gear in most cases, a sharp prod of the accelerator pedal
makes this big sedan rear up and blast off like a muscle car. The
all-independent suspension and 4-wheel disc brakes are supremely
competent under most circumstances, allowing all 5000 pounds of
luxury sedan to hustle along with aplomb without jostling
passengers. Familiar Mercedes-Benz 6-spoke wheels are fitted with
225/50/16 Dunlop radials for a flashier look and feel.
This is a shocking amount of luxury, performance, and prestige for
relative pocket change, and we don't think you'll find many S-Class
sedans of this vintage at this price point. Call today!