Vehicle Description
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 remaintear 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.
