In the period when this outstanding platform was first introduced, Car and Driver magazine said it's “...the ultimate manifestation of the basic Daimler-Benz idea of how automobiles are supposed to be designed and built - the best Mercedes-Benz automobile ever sold”.

It was effectively indistinguishable from any other 450SEL, except for the 6.9 emblem and the wider wheels and tires, and there are no important interior clues, other than wood trim across the fascia, to set it apart from any other Mercedes-Benz sedan of this size. What truly set this platform apart was the 6.9-liter (417-cid) engine that produced 250 horsepower in the age of gas shortages and when performance was considered to be a “dirty word” to the politicians and policy wonks of the time.

What set it apart to this writer was reading an article in Road & Track magazine in period in which Formula One correspondent, Rob Walker (former Formula One owner, gentleman, and heir to the Johnnie Walker blended scotch brand) posed the question to the then-current F1 drivers as to the car they drove on the public roads. By a large margin, the answer came back as the Mercedes-Benz 6.9 Sedan. How can you not be sold on its many attributes after that answer?

The car has been well chronicled in many articles and certain books have been written about the car. From 1975 through 1981 Mercedes-Benz built only 7,380 similar copies. In the 1978 model year, there were only 1,665 produced. In total, just 1,816 cars were sold into the United States over the seven year availability period.

The 450SEL 6.9 had the internal designation of W116 and was unquestionably the greatest family car of the era and remains a massively competent machine today. By installing a bored-out version of the M100 V-8 engine in the standard 450SEL - itself already crowned Car of the Year and regarded as the pre-eminent luxury saloon of the day - Stuttgart's engineers added supercar crushing performance to the W116s long list of attributes. With self-levelling hydro-pneumatic suspension, dry-sump lubrication and Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, the 6.9 was not only fast, but handled and rode superbly – as seen in the chase scene involving Robert De Niro in the cult John Frankenheimer movie “Ronin”.

This example is finished in a cream-tone and is enhanced by the complementary chestnut colored interior. Along with four-wheel disc brakes, the 6.9 sedan features air conditioning, radio; power windows, steering and brakes. The Mercedes-Benz came with every conceivable luxury item available at that time, featuring a classy mix of leather and high quality wood trim. They even offered a power-operated sunroof for no additional cost for those who found it desirable. Formula One drivers, business tycoons and Heads of State loved this car; surely you will too.