Mercedes-Benz S-klasse 280 S / 350 SE / 450 SEL (W116, 1972 - 1980)

De Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W116) It is the sedan model of Mercedes-Benz and is one of the best-selling top-class cars in the world. The S stands for Sonder, which means 'special'. Production started on September 25, 1972. The last car rolled off the assembly line in September 1980. The W116 was the first series to officially be named S-Class, intended as Sonderklasse or 'super-class' in English. The W116 replaced the W108-W109.

Mercedes-Benz W116

History and background

When the Mercedes-Benz W116 debuted in 1972, it was not just a new luxury sedan; it was the first car ever officially named “S-Class” (Sonderklasse, or “Special Class”). The model is a series of flagship luxury sedans produced from September 1972 to 1980. The W116 cars were the first Mercedes-Benz models to be officially named S-Class, although some earlier sedan models had already been unofficially designated with the letter S for “special class”.

There were faster sedans, quieter sedans, and more beautiful sedans, but even those who struggled with the cold rationalism that underpinned this design found it difficult to find fault. There was no other four-door luxury car available in the seventies that was so complete and so carefully engineered.

In 1978, towards the end of its production run, the W116 became the first car in the world to be offered with ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), jointly developed with Bosch. This innovation would grow to become one of the most important safety features in automotive history.

Mercedes-Benz W116 interior

Design and interior

Designed under the leadership of Friedrich Geiger, the W116 introduced many Mercedes design motifs that would influence the brand for decades. Its long, low silhouette, ribbed taillights, and horizontally stacked headlights became instantly recognizable Mercedes-Benz features.

The basic design concept continued the themes originally introduced on the R107 SL-Class roadster, particularly the front and rear lights. The W116 was larger on the outside than the W108/W109 series it replaced, but had comparable interior capacity, as the extra space was driven by various new and previously mentioned safety engineering developments.

The passenger safety cell was reinforced, while front and rear knuckle zones were optimized to absorb energy more effectively in a collision. It was the first production car with the fuel tank mounted above the rear axle, away from the knuckle zones — a design choice that dramatically improved safety in rear-end collisions.

Model variants

Six-cylinder (1972–1980):

• 280 S (1972–1980) — M110 DOHC inline six, Solex carburetor, 156–160 hp
• 280 SE (1972–1980) — M110 DOHC inline six, Bosch D-Jetronic injection, 177–185 hp
• 280 SEL (1974–1980) — long wheelbase version of the 280 SE

V8 — 3,5 liters (1972–1980):

• 350 SE (1972–1980) — M116 V8, 200 hp
• 350 SEL (1973–1980) — long wheelbase, 100 mm extra

V8 — 4,5 liters (1973–1980):

• 450 SE (1973–1980) — M117 V8 4.520 cc, 225 hp
• 450 SEL (1973–1980) — long wheelbase version, automatic only

Top model:

• 450 SEL 6.9 (1975–1980) — M100 6.834 cc V8, 210 kW (286 hp), 550 Nm, hydropneumatic suspension standard, 7.380 units built

block Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL 6.9L

North America exclusive:

• 300 SD Turbodiesel (1978–1980) — OM617 turbodiesel inline five 3.005 cc, the world's first turbodiesel passenger car, 28.634 units built

In China, a copy of the Mercedes-Benz W116 was built in 1974 as the Shanghai SH771 by Shanghai Automobile to replace its old 1950s Shanghai SH760. Only 30 SH771s were built and used for testing until 1978. Beijing never approved full production of the SH771.

Competitors

There were faster sedans, quieter sedans, and more beautiful sedans, but even those who struggled with cold rationalism found it difficult to find fault. Direct competitors were:

• Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow
• Jaguar XJ12 Series II
• BMW 7 Series E23 (from 1977)
• Citroën SM (lower segment)

Successor model

De W126 series It was presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1979 as the successor to the first S-Class series. W116 production ceased between April and September 1980, depending on the type. The last car to pass final assembly inspection at the Sindelfingen factory was a 300 SD.

https://youtu.be/sesui1JFQog?si=v7_u8D3v_cQCjOjM Awesome scene from the movie Ronin with the 450 SEL