- Powerful and exotic 6.3-litre V-8 engine
- Elegant dark blue with matching interior
- One of the fastest four-door production cars in the world when new
- Equipped with factory sunroof
LOT 424
Selling on Saturday
1971 Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 6.3 Sedan
Building on the highly successful W111 and W112 series, the first Mercedes cars to be produced in great enough numbers to achieve economies of scale, Mercedes-Benz presented a newly developed luxury sedan in 1965 at the annual Frankfurt Motor Show. With production lasting until 1972 in Europe, and 1973 in North America, a total of more than 383,000 units of the W108 and W109 were built. Quickly changing fashion trends in the 1960s meant that the characteristic tailfins of the W111 'Heckflosse' predecessor, penned by designer Paul Bracq, were lost on the W108 and W109. Other less visible exterior modifications included a lower body waistline and wider doors. The resulting design was a visibly more modern and sleeker car with a more spacious interior. The W108 was the normal wheelbase version, whereas the W109, built in much smaller numbers, offered a longer wheelbase. The W108 and W109 were available with a variety of engines to choose from, most being delivered with the characteristically robust inline six-cylinder engines shared across the Mercedes range.
In 1966, in-house Engineer Erich Waxenberger started work on a private project, involving fitting the massive 6.3-litre M100 V-8 engine from the brand's 600 limousine into the W109's engine bay. The long wheelbase version W109 turned out to be well-suited for the large engine, luxuriously appointed and packing thunderous performance. After presenting the concept to the public at the 1968 Geneva Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz was duly impressed and put Waxenberger's idea into production. Between 1968 and 1972 a total of 6,526 of these luxury limousines with near muscle car performance were delivered to wealthy clients.
At the time of its release, the 300 SEL 6.3 was among the fastest four-door production cars in the world and was easily capable of a cruising speed of 125 mph (200 km/h). In a 1968 feature of Road & Track, the magazine concluded the 300 SEL 6.3 was "merely the greatest sedan in the world." The writers, impressed by the automobile's power, even took the car to a drag race at Orange County International Raceway, where it was only beaten by a 427 Corvette.
This superb example, finished regally in dark blue with a matching interior, features air-conditioning, power windows and an upgraded stereo, as well as factory fog lamps. Seldom seen and highly sought-after by Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts worldwide, this well-preserved and highly coveted performance sedan presents a rare opportunity to acquire a very special European touring machine that is in a class by itself.
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