For Sale: 1979 Mercedes-Benz 300D in St. Louis, Missouri

Mercedes' flagship luxury sedan offered a new feature in 1978, a five-cylinder turbodiesel engine; it was the world's first passenger car to do so. This example was made in Mercedes' Sindelfingen, West Germany factory in May 1979.

Dressed in Milan Brown Metallic (code 404U), this car's paint and trim are in overall very good order. The bodywork is straight and solid, the engine bay is very tidy while the cargo area also looks very good. The car's chrome and rubber-topped bumpers fit tightly to the body. A factory sunroof has also been fitted. The W116 received the ridged lamp covers which kept dirt accumulation at bay.

This big Benz rolls on Goodyear Viva radials, size 195/70R14 at all four corners. Each one is mounted on a factory 15-hole light alloy rim (code 640). The tires and wheels are all in average shape.

Under the hood is the aforementioned turbodiesel engine. The 3.0L SOHC unit has a Bosch injection pump with a Garrett turbine along with the odd number of cylinders (code OM617.950). Backing up this motor is a four-speed automatic transmission (code W4B 025/722.1) and a 3.07:1 rear end. Driver convenience features include automatic climate control (code 588); cruise control (code 440); power recirculating ball steering; power disc brakes; power windows (code 588); power antenna (code 531); rear defroster (code 592); car is equipped with A/C wich blows but not cold. Sunroof (code 410). Radio is inop. This engine was part of an effort to keep the company from violating the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAF�) standards that were enacted in the U.S. in 1975.

Inside, the car is finished in Bamboo Leather (code 204). The front buckets and rear bench seat are in satisfactory order, as is the matching carpet. The headliner above looks good. A large, four-spoke steering wheel dominates the driver's side of the dash while the instrument panel and inner door panels are in overall good order. The center console and console-mounted shifter are decent condition. The car's clock still works. A Blaupunkt AM/FM stereo with cassette deck rounds out the interior.

The W116 S-Class incorporated a broad variety of Mercedes-Benz safety innovations:

Four-wheel, multi-channel anti-lock brakes were first featured as an option on the 1978 W116 S-Class. This system prevents the wheels from locking while braking. The system improves steering control during hard braking situations, and to shorten brake distances
Strengthened body structure. The W116 featured a more stable security passenger cell with a stiffened roof frame structure. High strength roof and door pillars, along with other reinforced zones, provided enhanced vehicle occupant protection
Deformation zones (crumple zones) in the front and rear
A padded dashboard, deformable switches and controls, and a four-spoke steering wheel with impact absorber and broad impact cushion aimed to reduce occupant injury during collisions
The fuel tank was no longer fitted at the rear end, but was now placed above the rear axle for added protection.
Wraparound turn signals made it easier to communicate with nearby drivers

Competition to this Benz in 1979 included Cadillac's Sedan de Ville diesel and Seville diesel and Oldsmobile's 98 Regency diesel.

If you're looking for a solid Mercedes sedan that is decently broken in, this is a prime candidate. Swing on by MotoeXotica Classic Cars today and take a look at it for yourself!

VIN: 11612012010347
EIN: 617950 12 010631
TIN: 02-010805

This car is currently located at our facility in St. Louis, Missouri. Current mileage on the odometer shows 211,762 miles. It is sold as is, where is, on a clean and clear, mileage exempt title.

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