Earliest and latest-production examples of the W116 300SD

[Shervinator]

I was just watching Pierre Hedary's review of his 1980 300SD (an excellent video and a love letter to the W116), and in it he mentions having done some research to try and find the earliest production date for the W116 300SD. Apparently, he came across an example that was one of the first 100 cars made, and it was produced in February of 1978 (which explains why the '78 models are so rare... it was technically only half a model year!).

I happened to have already done a little digging of my own on the subject, and I found the 52nd-to-last car made, VIN 11612012028582. It was an Anthracite Grey Metallic on Bamboo MB-Tex example, built in July 1980. It showed up at an insurance auction in Dallas, TX in November 2022 with flood damage, 256k miles, and was sold for $775.

I then did some digging on the car that Pierre mentioned, and I found it: VIN 11612012000096 (Midnight Blue on Blue Leather), built in February 1978. This was only the 96th car built, out of a total of 28,634. It, too, was sold at auction, but looked to be in excellent condition. It only had 141k miles, and was sold in Antelope, CA in April 2021 for $4,000.

So far, we're only 96 away from the very first one built and only 52 away from the very last one built.

Has anyone ever seen an earlier or later car than these two?

[ptashek]

The last 300SD built is in the museum in Stuttgart. If memory serves, it's also the very last W116 to leave the production line in September 1980.

[nathan]

I like the diligence Shervinator! 
PT is that the last 300sd is it in the museum?  I always find it strange they put a US 300sd as the 116 representative in the museum?  I can understand a 6.9 might need suspension propping if they put one instead (they often bring out the silver green one for displays), but never understood why they didnt put a euro 116 in there.

[UTn_boy]

Palomino wasn't available for W116.  The color is Bamboo. 

[Shervinator]

I like the diligence Shervinator! 
PT is that the last 300sd is it in the museum?  I always find it strange they put a US 300sd as the 116 representative in the museum?  I can understand a 6.9 might need suspension propping if they put one instead (they often bring out the silver green one for displays), but never understood why they didnt put a euro 116 in there.

I just checked, and ptashek is right: the very last W116 ever built was that 1980 300SD. Its VIN is presumably 11612012028634, and it's Astral Silver Metallic on Blue MB-Tex or Blue Leather (I can't tell which).

I also find it ironic that the museum chose to keep a 300SD with its North American-spec lights and bumpers as the representative for the chassis. It must only be because the car happened to be the very last W116 built.

I emailed the museum to ask for more details on the car including verification of its VIN, so we'll see what they say.

Palomino wasn't available for W116.  The color is Bamboo. 

I knew that! It's very unlike me to miss such a simple detail. Thanks for correcting.

[rumb]

300SD was built only for North America, thus the headlights.

[ptashek]

I think they kept it only for the reason it was the last one made.

[Shervinator]

Slightly unrelated, but does anyone know if there are year-by-year production numbers for the W116 300SD?