Title:
MERCEDES BENZ 450 SEL / W116

Description:
The Mercedes-Benz W116 was a series of flagship vehicles produced from 1972 through 1980. The W116 automobiles were the first Mercedes-Benz models to be officially called S-Class, although earlier sedan models had already unofficially been designated with the letter 'S' - for Sonderklasse or "special class." They were large luxury sedans, which replaced the W108/W109. The new car was larger on the outside its predecessor, but it had a similar interior capacity, as the additional bulk was driven by new theories on car safety regarding occupant protection in case of a crash. It was one of the first cars to be available with the anti-lock braking system, hydropneumatic suspensions or a turbodiesel engine. Also, the "6.9" performed so highly that it was introduced despite the 1973 oil crisis. Production totalled 473,035 units. The W116 was succeeded by the W126 S-Class in 1979. The W116 was sold throughout Europe, America, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Australia. The most notable W116 was the high-performance, limited-production 450 SEL 6.9. This 8-cylinder model boasted the largest engine installed in a postwar Mercedes-Benz up to that time. Every 450 SEL 6.9 featured a self-leveling hydropneumatic suspension, and offered the ABS anti-lock braking system as an option from 1978 onwards. The 450SEL was awarded European Car of the Year in 1974. In addition to its reputation as the Mercedes flagship model, the W116 had references in popular culture. For instance, the 300 SD was only available in North America with a turbocharged 5 cylinder diesel engine. The W116 has had also had an illustrious history with the silver screen, the most notable was the movie Ronin, a Milan Brown 450SEL 6.9 chasing the bad guys through parts of France. On the small screen, shows like Dallas (J.R. Ewing's silver-green 280SE), Knight Rider (450SEL) and the British MI5-based show The Professionals were the mainstay of the S-Class screentime. The vehicle in the eight-minute short film C'était un rendez-vous, a no-holds-barred romp through the streets of 1976 Paris, was commonly believed to be a Ferrari 275 GTB due to the engine sound. A recent interview with the producer, Claude Lelouch, revealed that the camera-carrying vehicle was actually a 6.9L 450SEL 6.9, with sound dubbed over.

Author:
AlexFilmNordic

Tags:
450, 6.9, audi, auto, benz, bjärred, class, MB, mercedes, MG, motorcycle, sel, sport, sweden, turbo, vw, w116,