S-Class (W140) Modern classics: the S-Class Saloons of the Mercedes-Benz 140 series (1991 to 1998)

[Kowalski]

How about selling them to the Mercedes-Benz museum?

 

[Kowalski]

Well looks like somebody actually paid the asking price for those two W140s because the eBay listing has ended.

 

[Wolfgang]

Shanghai Government Sells Eight W140 Mercedes-Benz Pullman Limousines
PUBLISHED ON JUNE 13, 2016 BY TYCHO DE FEIJTER

The Shanghai municipal government has auctioned off eight ultra rare W140 Mercedes-Benz S500L Pullman limousines. The vehicles were used by the Shanghai Bureau of Foreign Affairs to ferry visiting foreign dignitaries through town.

The vehicles came with their original handbook, in German.

Official factory photo.

The luxurious W140 Pullman Limousine debuted in 1995 and was manufactured on order in small numbers until 1999. The Pullman was stretched to 6213mm, exactly one meter longer than the long-wheelbase L version of the W140.

The extension was positioned between the front and rear doors. Buyers could choose between a captain-seat or a four-seat configuration, and they could also spec a fully armored body.

The Pullman was available in S500L or in S600SEL from. The Shanghai cars are all based on the S500L, which was powered by a 5.0 liter V8 engine with an output of 335hp and 480nm.

However. Even the Pullman luxuries were not good enough for Shanghai. A company called Shanghai Jinjiang Automobile Servicemade them even better, adding a TV set and a refrigerator. Jinjiang also gave the S500L Pullman a new name: the Dynasty 1000.

And so they are badged. Dynasty refers to the famous Chinese imperial dynasties of old, and it is indeed a good name for such a car.

The Shanghai Bureau of Foreign Affairs used to have 11 of these vehicles. They were bough in 1998 and they were used until late 2014. Three were sold off early last year, and one of those was spotted in wedding-car guise.

The other eight were auctioned off via a government website, with final-bid price ranging between 500,000 and 630,400 yuan ($76,000 – 96,000). The cars were likely snapped up by collectors as they have very little practical use; new environmental regulations forbid any pre-2000 car to enter Shanghai proper, no exceptions.

The license plates are included in the sale, which at least in part explains the high price. A new license plate can costs as much as 80,000 yuan in Shanghai. The license plates of the eight cars on sale are sequential, ranging from B·00081 to B·00088.

Antenna in the middle of the boot lid.

Flag poles on each side of the front. One pole would carry the Chinese flag, the other the flag of the country of the visitor.

The dashboard with a period original radio-cassette player!

A mysterious box in the foot well of the passenger, to the right of the center tunnel.

The back with two captain seats and two jump seats. TV is located between the jump seats, looking extremely small by today’s standards.

Leather and carpets are in need of a good cleanup!

Photos of the cars when they were still used by the bureau.

Old Buick Regal on the left.

Every single car, starting with 81.

The W140 Pullman, still majestic and still magic. Let’s hope the lucky new owners give these rare German limousines the love and care they need.

With thanks to Sam Faulkner for the tip! Additional photos via.

Time now for our Famous W140 Mercedes-Benz China Collection™: S500 in white, S600 Pullman, S500, truck market, S320, S600 on the market, perfect S600, the best S600, Pullman S6000, S500 with W210 E, motorcade, motorcade, S500, crash, body kit, S500 in white, S600, and another S600.

Shanghai Government Sells Eight W140 Mercedes-Benz Pullman Limousines - CarNewsChina.com

 

[tristatez28lt1]

The Chinese and their car names haha...Dynasty 1000. Why not Royal Majestic Dynasty 1000000?

 

[Mick Briesgau]

Dynasty...? Alexis' car?

 

[DjordjeC63]

What is replacement for them, Hongqi or what?

 

[Kowalski]

What is replacement for them, Hongqi or what?

Audis

Chinese politicians love their taxpayer's funded black Audis.

There is a black W140 among the black A6s in the second photo. Btw, they are not ordinary A6s; the Chinese A6 has a long wheelbase and it's called A6L.

 

[Rainer271]

Dynasty...? Alexis' car?

The TV series "Dynasty" was my first thought too.

 

[Mick Briesgau]

The TV series "Dynasty" was my first thought too.

If memory serves me right, Jeff Colby drove a W126.

 

[Rolf]

If memory serves me right, Jeff Colby drove a W126.

And don't forget.......JR Ewing also drove a W126

 

[Mick Briesgau]

And don't forget.......JR Ewing also drove a W126

I'll never forget J.R. He started in the series driving a W116, by the way.

 

[Wolfgang]

Googled a bit and voila..

Dallas' J.R. Ewing Knew How To Ride In Style

The 280SE J.R Ewing drives at the time the series started in 1978 is totally with the times. It may have been strangled by emissions add-ons in the wake of the first oil crisis, but the W116 was always an intimidating brute. Dictators rode in them, so it made sense the villain of the show –someone in Texas and in oil – would have one too.

But then he got a 450SEL and the gas-guzzling giant finally had some power to go belting on those completely straight and flat Texas highways. Makes a good noise, too. The other great thing about the W116 is that, while clearly a product of the '70s, it somehow uses that as a cool and timeless element. Totally classy.

http://jalopnik.com/5963039/dallas-jr-ewing-knew-how-to-ride-in-style

 

[Rolf]

I'll never forget J.R. He started in the series driving a W116, by the way.

Well then that was before I started watching that program alot cause it was introduced in South Africa in 1978 if i am correct and I was just 3 years old at the time.

 

[Emex]

He drove a MOPF W140 in a Dallas movie as well

but killed this one off in a faked death scene.

 

[picsoubmw]

Found this photoshop, would have been nicer if it came like this :

 

[Rolf]

Found this photoshop, would have been nicer if it came like this :

The perfect combo in my opinion if the SEC coupe had the S-class sedan front lights with orange turn signal covers and the S-class sedan had the rear lights of the coupe. I didn't like the look of the S-class sedan rear lights with the clear plastic strip below the lights, it looked especially vulgar on the facelift model. On the coupe it looks much better as the light graphics and shape looked more neater without the clear underneath plastic strip.

 

[Sovereign]

^ I beg to differ on the S class rear plastic trim. I think it gives the sedan S W140 a much more interesting and probably a more sharper rear end then the very plain coupe's rear design treatment. W140 coupe to my eyes was the worst S class based coupes of all. The front was kinda odd with overly big eyes. Very bland outside. And it was to rival the beautiful BMW 850 which was a design masterpiece and the beautiful W126 that this W140 actually replaced..

 

[Rolf]

I do agree about the W140 coupe styling been the least attractive out of all the S-class based coupes, it lacked grace and elegance and was too bulky in its proportions. Those front lights were really odd looking, especially looking at the front 3/4 view and the car always looked undertyred unless someone fitted 18inch wheels. It was a big step backwards in the looks department compared to the beautiful W126 coupe, which is a classic now.

 

[sako97]

 

[Rainer271]

I can remember me to this pic. I'm not sure but I could swear that this pic was printed in an AutoBild issue. But I'm confused because of the english text.