W116 Rarity

[Markz116]

In your opinion, what particular model of the W116 lineup do you think is the most rarely encountered?

For example, I see people littered all over this forum who drive 300SDs and 450SEL 6.9s, but scarcely see someone with a 450SE. People like WGB, alabbasi and of course Michel who have a majority of the models throughout the W116 lineup, ranging from the 280 to the 450SEL 6.9. The 450SE, however, I have yet to see more than a handful of people who own one.

The only 450SE I've ever seen in my life is my uncle's, but I recall in the past seeing many other W116s and such scattered across mall parking lots and buzzing down the street. There's a small Mercedes-Benz garage about three miles down the main street of my uncle's town which has almost every single vintage Mercedes there ever was between the 70s and mid-80s. My dad stopped on the side of the road one time so I could get out and have a quick look at the small lot filled with majestic W116s and 123s, and yet I don't recall seeing a single 450SE.

What's the deal? Is it just by coincidence that I have never seen any other 450SEs before aside from my uncle's? Or was there something about this model that makes it one of the lesser-seen W116s..?

[Des]

The SEL models are the rarest, I think the 350SEL and the 6.9 being the rarest, in terms of production numbers.

[13B]

People will (politely, please) correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure reading the Road & Track 1973 review of the then-new W116, the importers of MB vehicles into the US were only going to bring in 450SELs after 1974.  

Its my understanding that it goes something like this:

1973: 450SE and SEL with euro bumpers and round headlights
1974: 450SEL with US bumpers and round headlights only
1975: 280S and 450SEL with US bumpers and round headlights
1976: ditto
1977: 280S, 450SEL, and 6.9 with US bumpers and round headlights
1978: 300SD, 450SEL, and 6.9
1979: ditto
1980: ditto until W116 body phased out.

My dates might be out slightly, but I'm pretty sure thats all MBUSA officially imported into the USA.  All other models are grey market imports, or that other method, the name of which escapes me, where you buy a car in Germany drive it around europe for a while then bring it home with a certain milage on the clock.

As soon as I started reading your other thread about your uncle having a 1976 450SE in continental USA I figured it would automatically have euro bumpers headlights however as we know from the picture, it looks like a legit US delivered car.

I.

[Markz116]

If I recall correctly, yes, it is a US-spec 450SE, with the US bumpers. The headlights I question though.. They were US-spec in shape and size, but the rounded sections were yellow [once again, if I recall correctly]. Does that mean anything significant?

[Des]

yellow lights would be foglights.

in USA and france they are sometimes coloured yellow

[Des]

This car here has the yellow foglights you refer to:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1980-Mercedes-300D_W0QQitemZ120210319505QQihZ002QQcategoryZ6330QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Markz116]

Ah yes that's probably it.

But I think the bumpers on my uncle's 450SE were different than the ones on the 300D you posted in reference to. They had those fat [subbumpers?] mounted on them.

[Des]

Do you mean overriders or the fat US style bumpers like this?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mercedes-Benz-400-Series-1975-450SE-450-SE-Mercedes-Benz_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6331QQihZ018QQitemZ280190723237QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW



note that this car has both

[Markz116]

That!

The car has the same exact bumpers.

And it has the same climate control system as well.

..and the interior color haha.

[Des]

standard US bumpers, the overriders were removed sometime in 1975

[WGB]

I don't think many SE's were imported into USA but they were more common elsewhere.

They were often prized in New Zealand in the 1970's - especially on the second hand market as most people were owner-drivers and the shorter wheelbase is much easier to park. In Oz and USA they are accustomed to bigger cars and bigger car parks but in New Zealand, UK and Europe parks seem to be much smaller and the rear seat was usually filled with children anyway.

Bill

[brettj]

Mark,

My 1975 450SE was special ordered new in 1974 by my late uncle here in Massachusetts. It was not a European delivery vehicle. The 450SE was sold in the USA in 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1976. The energy crisis of the 1970's most likely did in the 450SE in popularity as it was replaced by the 280SE in 1977. The 280SE had a 6 cylinder engine which was much better on gas but is essentially a 450SE with a smaller motor.

The 1973 450SE would be the only model in the USA to have the Euro bumpers. DOT rules forced MB to use the bumpers you see on your father's car to be used on the 74, 75 and 76 models. The round headlights were also part of the USA version and another requirement of the DOT. The chrome upper bumpers were on all 450SE models.

Personally, I feel the 450SE is much rarer than the 450SEL here in the USA. I see 450SEL models all over the place; on EBay, car shows and car clubs. Very rarely do I see a 450SE. The 450SE was very expensive which made it inaccessible to most people. My car cost a bit over 16,000 dollars in 1974!

[Markz116]

Yea I agree with you in that the 450SEL is not as rare as the SE.

I did know about the DOT choking Mercedes on safety and making them change the bumpers and lights, but year-wise I wasn't too sure, so thank you for clearing that up for me. I learn something new here everyday

So.. What you're all saying is that there were models imported directly from Europe as customer orders placed in America AND that there were models shipped to America then sold?

[Andrew280SEL]

I don't know what's up with the 450SE to be honest, there was a good 41,604 produced.

The rarest W116 of them all is the 350SEL with only 4,266 being made. Then there's the 280SEL with 7,032 cars being made, and then the 6.9 with only slightly more at 7,380.

How many of each left these days is a bit hard to say. I would have thought the 6.9 being so famous, it would be the most preserved model though.   

[13B]

Looks like they made 41604 of the 450SE and 59578 of the 450SEL

Here in the undisputed land of the 116 (Australia) you generally see, on the used market, about 3 450SELs are advertised for every 450SE.

That still works out to a higher attrition rate for the 450SE... either the people with them are more reluctant to sell them, or more are scrapped sooner than the SEL.