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This 1969 300SEL 6.3 is a beautiful example of one of the most desirable Mercedes sedans, which in its day held the title as the world’s fastest 4-door. There were just 6,526 of the SEL 6.3 built worldwide, and few examples are on offer in Australia.
An advanced and sophisticated luxury car for its time, the SEL features factory Bosch fuel injection on the renowned M100 V8, producing 184kw. This takes the 1.8-tonnes of luxury to 100kph in just 6.6 seconds. A 4-speed automatic transmission, locking diff, electric windows, pneumatic central locking, factory sunroof, dual circuit four wheel ventilated disc brakes and self-levelling suspension put the SEL is in a class of its own when compared to other vehicles of the late 1960s.
This particular example is offered by a collector in south-west Sydney. The car was purchased from Toowoomba Queensland, where it is believed to have resided with an elderly gentleman for the last 30 years who recently lost his licence forcing the sale last year. The current owner is consolidating his projects, and will sell the car with Queensland registration.
The paint and bodywork is in excellent condition, with no signs of serious rust anywhere. The car underwent a restoration approximately 20 years ago, and has essentially been stored and used very little since. When we photographed the vehicle, we didn’t have the opportunity to give it a clean, but note the paint is brilliant, and will shine like new once given just a rinse. As with most old Mercedes, even after 50 years the doors all close as if the car was brand new. A sample of that has been included in the video below.
Inside it’s a similar story, with the tan perforated trim presenting in immaculate condition, along with the carpet, door trims and roof lining. All switches, dashboard panels and timber trim are in excellent condition.
Mechanically, the current owner has no issues to report, and the car runs like clockwork. To save at the pump, the car was converted to dedicated LPG fuel in late 2005. The V8 runs and sounds great – a small sample of which has been included in the below video. The factory sunroof and all electric windows all work perfectly.
We expect to see prices of the 300SEL continue their upward trend, which has even carried the smaller capacity 3.5l vehicles to impressive levels. If you’re looking for one of the more secure automotive investments over the longer term, the 6.3 should be on your list.
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