S-Class W126 Modern classics: the Mercedes-Benz S-Class of the W 126 series

[Gianclaudio]

Today, my brother in law brought his friend's W126 for a ride, as we're restoring a W126 that used to be from my father, and we both love Sacco's-era Mercs in general.... the one in the pic is late 80's, 300SEL (the sohc engine) and manual transmision. It has over 290.000 km and after driving for about an hour.. all can I say is wow. How can a car after 20+ years and so many thousands of kms feel so tight and smooth is beyond my thinking.
There were NO noises or rattling or craklings, the engine was crisp and still punchy, every electric accesories worked perfectly and the damm car really felt like a brand new 2013 car (no clichè)
And then is the timeless, gorgeous style inside and out, feeling pretty at home by todays standards.

In my family (counting uncles) we had W114/115, W124, W123, W201, W210, every one a great car, but the W126 was/is my favorite and IMHO the most important car of the last 40 years, in style and execution.

Regards!

 

[Merc1]

Here is a 1991 560SEL in UNBELIEVABLE condition:

http://www.hatchandsons.com/pages/sales/JB174/

M

 

[Gianclaudio]

Any idea how much are they asking? @Merc1

BTW my W126 is running perfectly right now, really tight and the engine fires right away and accelerates well. I've to work on the interior, though

 

[Merc1]

Nope, you have to call or email these guys and they may or may not respond. They always seems to have the perfect cars though.

M

 

[Rolf]

The W126 was a pinnacle car with regards to vehicle design, it introduced fully integrated plastic bumpers front and rear, it was the first car in the world to have a resin bonded flush windscreen. Also the first with plastic wheel covers (on base versions) and it set aerodynamic standards at the time in the late 70's a CD factor of 0.36 was very rare amongst cars. Then safety features such as drivers and passenger airbags, acceleration skid control (ASR - traction control).

Its best features were its elegant, modern and now timeless exterior, outstanding interior build quality/materials, seat comfort and space and low noise levels (especially mechanical and wind noise suppression although its road noise was not too impressive), good steering and handling behavior, comfortable suspension.

It was the best car in the world until 1986 when BMW and Jaguar launched the E32 7-series and XJ40, which both showed were better to drive than the W126 with superior steering precision, grip, body control and high speed noise suppression (especially the 7series which had a lower drag of 0.32) and better ride comfort. But the W126 still had superior cabin space, seat comfort and build quality plus competitive engine refinement (V8 better than both sixes) and gearbox smoothness.

The Lexus LS400 came out in 1989/1990 exactly 10years after the W126, so Lexus engineers had more than enough time to study the W126 and assess all its weaknesses and engineer a winning formula into the LS400. When it was introduced its powertrain smoothness/low noise levels set new standards in production cars, it was a new benchmark for suppression of mechanical, wind and road noise (at 180km/h it was 5dB quieter than the W126 420SE) and its ride comfort set new standards. It set new standards in aerodynamics at the time a CD of 0.29 was the best in the luxury class. It could not match the W126 in interior build and material quality as well as space and seat comfort though. It also had a smaller boot.

If you have to work out the overall achievements the W126 was a benchmark car engineered and designed well ahead of its time.

 

[Merc1]

I agree with all of that except the Jaguar part. Nothing from Jaguar has ever been superior to a S-Class IMO. Jaguars just don't have the engineering and reliability/durability to best a Mercedes, they still don't today and their tech is still a generation or two behind.

M

 

[Rolf]

Some interesting pictures of earlier W126 prototypes as well as various aftermarket modified versions/different bodystyles of this benchmark luxury car.

1) This version from 1975 but clearly based on the styling of the W116 S-Class.

2) A second prototype from 1975, but using the design themes that were used on the production W126, more modern looking than the prototype in 1) above, with slightly raked front lights and grill, less vertical angled windscreen and sleeker rear window with thicker C-pillar and higher boot line.

3) Third prototype from 1975, this was the most unusual and probably most bold design theme. It had a more vertical grill than production version with angled lights but no orange side indicators on front lights. The C-pillar was slimmer with unusual wrap around rear window and what looks like angled triangular rear indicator lights. The rear view mirrors were still the old chrome style used on the W116 and not grey plastic as on production version.

Some unusual non production versions of the W126 were produced by various coach builders.

1) Some estate versions of the W126:

2) Some extended wheelbase limousines, 600 Pullman successors:

3) Some W126 with spoilers, dropped suspension, bigger mags:

this very nice one with a Lorinser kit and deep dish mag wheels.

4) Some convertible versions of W126 with drop tops done by coach builder Caruna:

5) and finally for the departed this MASSIVE hearse that can probably carry 20 deceased people:

 

[Wolfgang]

By Caruna.

Dutch Royal Family Restores 1985 Mercedes 380 SEL Caruna
http://jalopnik.com/5292814/dutch-royal-family-restores-1985-mercedes-380-sel-caruna

 

[Rolf]

I was looking on the South African Autotrader and someone was selling this mint condition 1986 380SE A/T for about US$6100. It has 160,000km (99,500miles) on the clock and has one owner for many years still with all manuals and service history books, really nice buy!

 

[Wolfgang]

A 1991 500SE in Cape Town.

Mercedes-Benz

 

[SDNR]

It's still a very noble looking vehicle. I really like the "Germaness" of it which the new ones don't have as much since Mercedes-benz has essentially become a Global brand with a Global corporate culture.

 

[Enrico]

The Lexus, here was called Lexedes for some reason!

I see a lot of w126 even in these days!
I remember when i was watching Miami Vice, not the movie obviously, when a was a kid, all that Mercedes sedans, in black, with AMG bodykit, and AMG Penta wheels! Was and is an amazing car, it never get old, and even now, me and my girlfriend, turn our heads to look at it when one cross our road.

 

[Wolfgang]

From the IAA in 1979.

fünfkommasechs

 

[alexschoen]

In those days, Mercedes-Benz was far away from any bling bling in promoting their cars. As matter of fact, they did not even have a "marketing" department, it was all covered in the "distribution" department. Says a lot about how much demand exceeded supply at that time...

 

[Wolfgang]

A rare option, Mercedes code 948, the pennant holder.

 

[Mick Briesgau]

30 years W126 Mopf (facelift) IAA 1985
Nice article at http://5komma6.mercedes-benz-passion.com/30-jahre-mercedes-w126-mopf-eine-zeitreise-zur-iaa-im-jahr-1985/ (only German)

 

[SDNR]

The W126 actually looked good as an extended limousine ....I think it works better than the Mercedes-Maybach Pullman

It made me think about this classic scene from Coming to America

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[Mick Briesgau]

^James Earl Jones and W126: perfectly casted.

 

[Mick Briesgau]

If Mercedes-Benz offered me a W126 with today's engine/gearbox/suspension I'd trade my W222 in an instant.

 

[SDNR]

If Mercedes-Benz offered me a W126 with today's engine/gearbox/suspension I'd trade my W222 in an instant.

Haha .....but just think Mick, in about 30 years from now we'll be feeling sentimental about the classic W222