RE: PH Heroes: Mercedes 450SEL 6.9

[MadDog1962]

r129sl said:

Car pitched the 6.9 against the Daimler Double Six, the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow and a Cadillac Seville in the September 1977 issue. The Jag won. It may have been Setright doing the writing. Here's a link:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/9-77-Car-Mag-ft-Rolls-Ro...

Mel Nichols did the Silver Trashcan article, too, but that was later I think.

Hardly a fair fight between the Rolls and the Caddy, but the Daimler Double Six was indeed a fine thing when it ran properly. My dad still has his series 2 (it's looking a bit sad after 19 years in the garage) if anybody out there wants a project car...

I reckon I'd instinctively choose the 450SEL 6.9 over the Jag/Daimler, but my old man still gets nostalgic about the way the big cat wet around corners (for a such a big heavy machine). However, until I read this article I had no idea that the Benz was as complex, with all that dry sump lubrication and self levelling suspension.

I'd love one of these, but alas I think I'll have to stick to more sensible stuff for the time being.

[r129sl]

Type17 said:

Whiters said:

What a fantastic way to make progress. Wonderful cars. Cliched, I know, but they are built like tanks. Our neighbours had one in the early 80's, a 350 rather than a 450, but still a W116. They had a head-on with an artic in France. Badly injured but survived. A lesser motor (of which most were) would likely have seen a very different result.

The W116 is indeed a tough old boot, as shown by these shots from 1970’s Germany. The Mk1 Capri was never a particularly solid car, but you would thought that it would have put up a bit more of a fight, rather than allowing itself to be used as an external crumple-zone by the Merc…

Reminds me of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VojePSOrnYw&pla...

Not a w116 but the same principle. Now resist buying one.

[Digby]

Well it gets my vote, given my 280SE was the same colour as the one in Ronin..

[jnoiles]

405dogvan said:

also - LJKS, oh my, anyone who wasn't reading magazines when he was writing missed something very important in petrolhead evolution...

I realise I’m in the minority here but LJKS was a tiresome blowhard. I’ve tried to read him any number of times thinking maybe my assessment of him was too harsh, too many people say he’s amazing etc. And every single time I find myself throwing the book at the wall and wondering what people see in his tedious drivel?

I’ll stick to Mel Nichols and Russell Bulgin thanks.

[Bonefish Blues]

On balance, I'm with you.