1989 Mercedes-Benz S-Class - 420 SEC

One of only 3,680 ever made

Understated, elegant color combination

Only two registered German owners to date

Only 98,131 documented kilometers

Chassis no.: WDB1260461A508093

Engine no.: 116.965-12-076008

Body no.: 00290

Production no.: 9550602

Paint: 702 Smoke Silver Metallic

Interior: 263 Leather Brazil

Factory options:

260 Elimination of model designation on rear lid

291 Airbag for driver and front passenger

300 Storage box in front tray

412 Electric sliding roof with tilting device

452 Two-tone horn

471 Acceleration skid control (ASR)

510 Becker radio Mexico cassette full stereo, electronic, Kurier LM/MW/SW/USW

531 Automatic antenna

551 Anti-theft/anti-break-in warning system

563 Front seats, left and right, reinforced

580 Air conditioner/Tempmatic

620 Vehicles with catalyst technique

640 15-hole light alloy rims

673 High-capacity battery

873 Seat heater for left and right front seats

Provenance:

31/10/1989 – Victor Guenthert, Muenchen, DE

02/03/2000 – Helmut Mueller, Torgau, DE

Documents:

German Fahrzeugbrief (1989)

Austrian Einzelgenehmigung (2015)

Original service booklet

About the model line:

C 126

The 51st Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1981 marked the return of a true Mercedes-Benz luxury coupé. After almost a decade without a flagship two-door model, Stuttgart returned to a tradition that had reached its zenith with the elegant W 111 Coupés. The 2+2-seat SLC certainly had its virtues, but it had never truly filled the void.

»SEC«, short for „S-Class“, „Fuel Injection,“ „Coupé“. Simple as the name may have sounded, Bruno Sacco set himself an altogether more ambitious task. He wanted far more than an S-Class with two fewer doors. Seizing the opportunity, he created one of the finest designs of his career. The wheelbase was shortened by 85 millimetres, while the roofline and window profile were completely redrawn. There was neither a B-pillar nor window frames. With all four side windows lowered, the uninterrupted glasshouse created an impression of remarkable lightness that still defines the character of the great coupé today.

Sacco also reworked the front end. The main headlamps became slimmer, while the fog lamps moved into the front bumper. This allowed for a wider radiator grille, dominated at its centre by the large three-pointed Mercedes star. Dispensing with the traditional bonnet-mounted star was another subtle nod towards a sportier character. The interior, too, received its own identity, featuring individual rear seats in place of the conventional bench.

Mechanically, the SEC shared almost everything with the S-Class saloon. Safety, comfort and effortless long-distance capability remained its defining virtues. Driver’s airbag, seat-belt pretensioners, ABS and later ASR ranked among the most advanced safety systems of their day. Beneath the long bonnet, only V8 engines were offered, their smoothness every bit as impressive as their effortless delivery of power. Outright speed was never the SEC’s greatest talent. Its true gift was covering vast distances at high speed without ever seeming to break a sweat.

The range opened in 1981 with the 380 SEC and the 500 SEC. The 1985 facelift brought the Coupés into line with the saloons, introducing an entirely new generation of V8 engines. The 420 SEC replaced the 380 SEC, while the 500 SEC remained in production and was joined by a new flagship, the magnificent 560 SEC. With up to 300 horsepower in ECE specification, it ranked among the fastest four-seat coupés of its era. Yet outwardly it differed little from its smaller siblings. That restraint was precisely its greatest luxury. The SEC never felt the need to advertise its abilities.

By the end of production in 1991, around 74,000 Coupés had been built. For many enthusiasts, the SEC remains one of the finest Mercedes-Benz coupés ever created—not because it was spectacular, but because it was timeless. And that is precisely what makes it so extraordinary.