1985 Mercedes-Benz 500SEL

History

The W126 was introduced to North America for the 1981 model year, the 380SEL being the gasoline-powered offering with a 3.8L V8. Complaints arose early of the 380SEL being underpowered and dismally slow, and Mercedes-Benz responded quickly by introducing the 500SEL in 1984. Much quicker and with a higher top speed, the 500SEL satisfied most customers with ease – but with a base price of about $52,000, around $130,000 today, it came at a substantial cost. But, in typical Mercedes-Benz style, the new car would feature more than just a new engine, it would host a number of amenities not available in the 380SEL. The 500SEL would serve as the flagship until late 1985 when the 560SEL debuted with a larger engine and more features, however, the 500SEL would not cease production until the end of 1986. This 1985 500SEL is believed to have been bought new in the Pacific Northwest United States, sold to its second owner in the early 2000s and then to the seller in 2016. The seller has performed their own maintenance and has a spreadsheet of items tended to.