Gray mass
For many, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class of the W140 generation – the Cathedral – is the most iconic of them all, but secretly it was also the least successful. Since the S-class was officially called that way (1972), there was no other generation of which fewer were built. Finding a good-looking copy is therefore becoming increasingly difficult, so we did not hesitate for a moment when we saw this copy for sale. Are you warming up to it?
Enough has been written about the W140 Mercedes-Benz S-class over the years. It’s big, heavy and – when it was new – very expensive. The car would have cost far too much money to develop and was therefore the first S-class in which a twelve-cylinder was an option. However, such an engine made the limousine even more expensive, causing most to leave the showroom without a 600 badge on the butt.
So is the copy that is now for sale in our occasion offer. That is not a 600, but a 400, with a V8. That engine has a capacity of 4.2 liters and thus produces 286 hp, so that the S, which weighs just under 2,000 kg, is able to sprint from standstill to 100 km / h in less than 8 seconds. It is a 1992 copy and therefore pre-facelift, which can also be seen in a very small detail: the car has the ‘parking antennas’ that were only optionally available before the facelift took place. After that, the W140 would have ‘more modern’ parking sensors.
They were optional, but if they are on, you are dealing with a pre-facelift W140.
Modern luxury
And more options were checked when someone ordered this car in the early 1990s: it has a sunroof, cruise control and climate control, heated seats and an – still present – original Becker radio. The seats are also electrically adjustable and fully upholstered in gray leather.
In combination with the gray headliner, the gray carpet and the two-tone gray exterior, they provide a nice characteristic composition, completed by the abundance of wood, which breaks up all the gray somewhat. That composition suits the sturdy German well; the W140 is not a cheerful, but certainly not a gray mouse either. It stands for something, is a driving statement, but does not shout it from the rooftops.
The door sill is just as pompous as the rest of the car.
Imported in 2007
Yet we know for sure that someone with a soft spot for the W140 would look three times at this copy. The car was imported to the Netherlands in 2007, has had two private owners since then and has stood the test of time quite well. It still looks sleek from the outside and inside. The current provider seems to be a garage owner who also used it himself and now – after having done a lot to it – wants to say goodbye to it.
In such a condition and with the relatively low odometer reading of 169,772 kilometers, the S-class should yield €14,950. For a fairly complete, original and neat car, that doesn’t seem like a very crazy amount to us. In any case, he will no longer write off, making it seem like a great car ‘to have with it’ for an enthusiast. Is that you?
Grey, wood and a little bit of black plastic, nothing more.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl