Ep. 5 - "the forgotten s-class" - W116 - Mercedes Classics With Pierre Hedary
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 พ.ย. 2022
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![Classic Documentary: The Mercedes-Benz W116 - Part 2 [ Specs ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/I0HOHaqRYCw/mqdefault.jpg)
Glad someone finally understands that these sedans handle with command and precision!
That was very entertaining and informative. Your ability to speak for a full hour sharing your wealth of knowledge of this vehicle is truly impressive. I remember when these came out. They were such a game changer. I was just finishing college in Boston and the economic crisis put these what seemed like lightyears out of reach. My dad had a '74 W114 (280) at the time. There is still a 1959 W105 in our family barn, mostly restored with tons of spare parts if you know anyone who's interested. 😉
Thank you, Pierre.
Great editing, Nick.
I always loved the 116. That's what a Mercedes looked like when I was growing up.
I live in the Netherlands and own a W201 190D from 1984, a W126 300SEL from 1986 and a W116 300SD from 1980. The W116 is imported from California because the W116 was never released in Europe with a diesel engine. and because the only economical version of a W116 is the diesel version, I was forced to import the car from the US because it was sold there. I follow Pierre with great interest because he knows so much about the old Benzes and can talk about them so passionately. Good job Pierre. 28634 units of the W116 300SD were made and I am proud to say that one of them is mine.
Greetings from the Netherlands and keep them on the road, those legendary old Mercedes Benz cars.
Hans
Pierre is a walking Mercedes encyclopedia
One of my favorite videos I’ve ever watched on TH-cam. Phenomenal. Makes me want to run out tomorrow and find me a W116. Great job Pierre and Thomas and Nick!
😃
You possess a rare combination of talents. Not only are you a highly proficient mechanic, but you are also an articulate speaker and a knowledgeable authority on the W116 and similar Mercedes models.
I really love mine. I have just made a trip from Brazil to Argentine and back, almost 4000 km and the car performed flawless.
which model?
Was it a w116 280se?
450SEL D-Jetronic@@magyaradam8957
I almost cried, I really did. The W116, what a beauty..!!
The W116 is still a beautiful car. The W126 is just the most elegant Mercedes ever built. Wherever I park my white 1990 420SEL, people come over and positively comment on it. When I drive around, I never get tailgated, it is like everyone has respect for this car, whatever brand the others are driving, the drive parallel to it and just look and look. But I would love to have an W116, too. I always loved the shape and the look of the car. I mean the W126 doesn’t look that different, it’s just more round and modern.
I’m old enough to remember the 116 300SD coming onto the scene. It was actually an epic car for the times. A “fast” diesel that got great mileage and would run forever, like most Mercedes’ diesels did. Pierre is absolutely spot on in his identification of the malaise era of automobiles. Nothing ran well. Corvette’s we’re maybe 200 hp at the time. The 300 sd was like a revelation. It made emissions standards without all of the performance choking hardware. I forever thought that all cars would become turbo diesels and we could have fun driving again! While it didn’t workout that way, this car was truly a standout. And Pierre, your delivery and passion made almost an hour of my day zip by in the most enjoyable way! Thank you! This particular car is beautiful!
That was a US only model and not offered in the rest of the world . Diesel and S Class do not belong in the same sentence .
Aw, she's a beauty Pierre. Your love for and dedication to the older Mercedes-Benz brand comes through loud and clear in every one of your presentations, and those are such admirable qualities that you possess; it is rare to witness such authenticity in a gentleman. Your attention to detail as you move through the presentation adds information every time to my knowledge base about these motorcars. Thank you for taking the time to make these videos and sharing them with those of us who share your enthusiasm about Mercedes-Benz.
Sandra in CA
How does any Mercedes s class fan forget the first s class with abs and a 6.9 litre v8? Love you Pierre keep up the amazing videos!
116's are beautifuI, especially with hubcaps.
I LOVE The bumpers, they look naked without them.
LOL... you and I are probably the only two people who love those large bumpers. They make the car look so substantial. The older versions with the thin bumpers look flimsy and weak. And to hell with that ugly bunt pan style alloy. Give me color-matched hub caps any time !!
+3 add me too 🤣
Pierre Hedary, I think you are a national treasure!
As a W126 300SD owner, I love seeing these videos extolling the virtues of OM617 cars. Keep em coming! I love geeking out with you!
I have two 123s but it was the 116 that I fell in love with as a kid. (Thanks to JR Ewing and Dallas) You’ve reminded me of my first love and now I must find a 116 to call my own. Let the hunt begin!
Mercedes W116 is an absolutely AWESOME car. Even prettier than the W126... and that in itself it an AWESOME car.
That was awesome 👏 I wish you would have climbed in the trunk. That should be a thing. Once again you made morning coffee, really entertaining. What a beautiful car!
A fascinating fact is that the W116 crowned the career of Daimler-Benz’ head of design Friedrich Geiger, which spanned 40 years and included the 1930s 500K/540K, the W198 Gullwing, the 1960s W110/111/112 Fintails, the W113 Pagode, the W100 ‘600’, the the W108/109 220/250/280/300 ‘S-class’, and the R107 SL roadster/coupe. Some CV!
Nobody does it better .. I love that Pierre gives the us bumpers credit ... I actually think the w126 looks better with us bumpers then the euro WOW not supried Jerry sinefeild is a fan
Gorgeous color, especially in a tropical setting like Florida. We used to call it metallic teal back in the 80's. The black interior looks perfect too.
Happy 50th birthday w116
Oh and sorry i forget something to say MERCEDES-BENZ is the most beautyful car on this world! When you watch to the star you are hypnotized!!!
I haven’t had an old benz diesel in a long time, and after driving nothing but my one ton work trucks and a honda insight for years, really missed the driving experience of an old benz diesel. So I decided to go on the hunt for a good rust free w116 or w126 example about six months ago. I watched this video and others on both bodies, but this video put me over the top on the w116. Looking at a few in person I started to notice the difference in quality of each small part like the door pulls, back seat reading lights, fold down sun visors, etc. It seemed every individual piece on a w116 was built a bit better. So I finally found my w116 last week, a really nice garaged black on black rust free example. I love the car, as will keep it for as long as I am driving. Thank you for the in depth look at the w116.
Dear Pierre. Here in Venezuela in the 70's there were a lot of W116 which were called Tiburon (Shark) the W126 was called Ballena (Whale) and the W113 and the R107 were called Cajita de Fosforo (Match Box). The W116 competition was the Ford LTD and the Chevrolet Caprice. There were so many W116 280S, 350S and 350SL and 450SL and the cars were so good that survived the extinct LTD which the last one I saw was the Automobile museum, Caprices there are one or two riding every now and then. Some W116 are in rust and bad conditions and a very few are in very well conditions. No Diesel W116 were sold in Venzuela. My favourite Mercedes Benz is the W111 Coupe and I have a W111 230S
I loved this car 40 years ago, i searched and bought one 5 years ago.
Iconic styling and build quality for such an era of overbearing regulation.
I was so happy to see this video pop up today!
Of course I'm old enough to remember this car when it was new and reading the motoring press magazines at the time they absolutely loved it. This diesel iteration of a motor car embarrassed everything else that was on the road at the time. And not just other diesel cars.
Love your work Pierre, certainly learned a thing or too from your latest instalment. I'm fascinated with the W116 chassis as I own a 79 450SE. Like your car it has an unusual colour combo, of Brilliant Red Metallic and Anthracite velour. In Australia W116 values are still low compared to their W108/9 W126 older and younger brothers. Good D-Jet cars are very hard to find now, with the early cars almost gone. The most common now are the K Jet 280SE and 450SEL examples, but even a good 450SEL 4.5 will struggle to make $20K AUD. Many W116s here were daily drivers and were ran into the ground, before classic values started rising. The W116 still remains a secret here and when friends drive my car they are amazed at the low down torque, comfort, some say it reminds them of an Australian muscle car with the subtle burble from the V8. I'm lucky as my UK 450SE is an import, so has no EGR, air pump, so is emissions free.
Great video!
My W116 is also a 1980 model, built in October 1979 😊
I absolutely love it and love the fact that it is a rare sight everywhere you take it.
I didnt expect to watch this in one sitting.... but it was so interesting and I had never considered owning one of these until now.
Damn you, Pierre! Now I want one...
Great to see Pierre taking the time to do a long-form video.
For whatever reason, W116s usually look better in real life than in photos. They are more understated and visually more solid looking than their predecessor (W108/109).
The forgotten S Class? Possibly because people confuse all MBs of this era due to their shared design language and close exterior dimensions. To the casual observer, the difference between the W116, W123 and W126 is all but nonexistent. However, the W116 was done at the end of an era when styling could still be clean and relatively svelte as opposed to clumsy and "prosthetic looking". The W126 was the beginning of "the prosthetic look", though still a beautiful design, especially by comparison to what followed.
Anyway... I'd like to encourage Pierre to make more long-form videos. As good under the hood of an MB as he must be, I think he is at least as good in front of the camera. The passion comes through. Nice job.
Fantastic video! Thank you very much.
This is my favorite s class series. I prefer slightly the European model without those bumpers and with better looking headlights. It's tough as a tank. That was a great video. Well done!
Been waiting for this video, I just bought a 300sd W116 and already own two W126s and honestly the 126 is more refined but the 116 feels more classic.
This is a fantastic overview of the W116. I'll agree that "sophisticated" is a correct descriptor. Several years ago, I was looking for a W123 diesel for a daily driver, but I ended up finding a stellar W116 300SD. It is the most robust vehicle I have ever owned. It turns every drive into an occasion, even mundane errands. I consider it my forever car and plan to drive it that long.
Love this !!! The w116 is finally getting its due respect. Pierre’s analysis of the model is a remarkably comprehensive. 🤜🤛
Excellent breakdown and description on the fabulous 116 - more videos like this please, your opinions are highly regarded.
Strong work, Pierre! The W116 is in fact very sophisticated. I always thought (and still do think) the W116 is a serious car for serious people. There’s no lightness or Joie de Vivre with this model like you see in the W113 or even the W108/109 models, however driving one, whether new or well sorted classic is an immense pleasure.
In our market we were fortunate enough to get the euro bumpers and lights. Personal preference but so nice.
Man this is such a nice car
Great video Pierre! I have two 116s; a 1980 300 SD (daily driver 3 seasons of the year) and a 1978 450 SEL (silver over black) with 45k miles. Both amazing cars. I also had a 6.9 for almost 20 years but was tired of dealing with the suspension issues as it wasn’t driven enough as I was too worried about “preserving it”…worst thing you can do is not drive these old cars! Have many other old MBs and a brand new S class (Love/hate relationship with that car) but out of all the cars, the 116 and the 107 are the best! 126 is right up there but without the 116 it wouldn’t have existed. Love the color combo on your car over my champagne. Keep the videos coming. Enjoy the holidays and be well.
i bought a 1979 yellow 300sd off the child of its original owner, kept the cars original name of "honeybear", it even came with vanity plates with this name, it was rear ended by a girl who had 200 miles on her new camaro(wrecked her last car a week before on her 21st birthday), as you mentioned there are no structural members available and insurance totaled it out.....ill be keeping my eye out for another one for sure, thanks for covering a very special car Pierre!!!!
I love Pierre's side commenting🙂🙂🙂.
I find your comment on light ivory (hellelfenbein) quite interesting, as that is the color of my 1984 300SD. I never knew it has a safety benefit.
Although I have had a W126 300SD - there is something more elegant and sleek about the W116 , always think about the scene in Lost in America where the man drives up in a W116 while Albert Brooks is working as a crossing guard...and Albert was very envious asking how he likes....and he responds 'what's not to like?" :) I am thinking about getting another 126 again...but maybe a 116
Pierre, if you are dissatisfied with the adhesives available to secure the hood pad may I suggest the polybutyl that is used for windshields. I've used it recently and I'm satisfied with it.
Great video Pierre!
Thanks for the great review. A little off topic but I have a lower mileage rust free 300CD non turbo. It is about 70% of the way to being properly back on the road. I have recently run across a 79 450SL that has similar needs. You’ve helped me decide to finish the W111 coupe and leave the R107 to someone else. Resale is not a consideration for me since I never sell. It’s easy to fill barns with projects but another matter entirely to see them through to being done.
Great Car-----Great and Interesting Video-------Thanks
Fantastic Video !!! I hope you get lots of hits . I am a proud W116 300 sd owner , navy blue no sun roof . Handling is incredible and has lots of power . This it truly a forever car for sure ...Linus 😀😀😀
I discovered your amazing, most enjoyable Video’s for the first time this morning 👍 I’m hooked. As the former , long term, Miss it everyday, purchased new 1984 300 SD owner, in lapis blue with grey leather, I truly enjoyed, appreciated and respected this most informative 116 Video, and look forward to getting caught up, on all of your others. I totally agree with you in regard to the Mercedes of the 116 and 126 era, vs the imitators of the past 25 years…Thanks much for sharing your knowledge, and your passion with us, Very much appreciated, Dennis
The Ford Elite was just a tarted up Torino, intended to compete with the Chevy Monte Carlo. The Granada Ghia and Granada ESS (Euro Sport Sedan) were the ones heavily compared to the W116. The Ads of the day were hilarious.
I always thought the Granada was compared to the W114 (I believe Ford tried to copy the styling) And the Seville was compared to the W116. Either way, it was a total fantasy to try this. No way in hell these cars can compare.
@@paulk9985 Euro Granada was compared to w114. US Granada was compared to w116 and Seville.
Not forgotten by myself. Considered one of the finest cars of it’s time. 👍🏻🏴 Built to last unlike today’s versions.
I still have somewhere the Car magazine from the 70’s in which the famous engineer J.K.L. Setwright ( he possessed of a Karl Marx-like beard) opined that it was a magnificent machine.
Yes, but rust, rust, rust as Pierre said.
I THINK Setwright claimed the W201 2.6 the best car ever made.
This episode is a beautiful love letter. I want to own an S class one day and I was looking at the W126, but you have made the case for this instead.
I remember the ESV of the early '70's and when my grandfather brought home the 300SD in '78 how much it looked like it. At that point in his life he needed help driving on the long trips he wanted to do and I volunteered (twist my 18 year old arm) we regularly got 30+ mpg. I love the manual seats. In a few months I will have the means to afford one, (thanks to his hard work) I hope I can find a good one.
Pierre makes the w116 look small…….quite an accomplishment. Those are great cars, so very well made.
How tall is he ?
As tall as a mountain.
With a brain the size of a small planet. And lots of heart!
The W116 did feel quite small and cosy inside , although larger on the outside than my W114 which I had at the same time ; I followed that 115 with 3x W126 and then a W140 ; currently on my fifth W124 estate , and about my 10th W124 if you count all body types , before that too many W123 , W115 and W114 to count , along with R107 and R129 . My first Mercedes was a W105 Ponton , kept it for 38 years , and also had a W111 , which I bought because I remember my parents having a W110 back in the 60s . Mercedes cars , of any range never felt big , and even the W201 had the ability to seem open and airy inside ; unlike the W203 , in which I think the C stood for Claustrophobia class , so closed in and uncomfortable my C270 made me feel , besides it being the only unreliable Mercedes I ever had , with countless things going wrong over the eighteen months I kept it , before getting another W201 to replace it . Nowadays , I refuse to have any model newer than the W201/124/140/R129
Thank you Pierre. Once again you have outdone yourself.
Always one of my favourite cars since i was a small boy in the 70s. Finally own a 1975 450se now and love it. Engineered to perfection. Safe and solid
Thanks for a great presentation, Pierre - I've been waiting for this one as I also own a W116, a '77 280 SE; one of the dream cars of my youth was the 450SE/SEL but by a quirk of fate I ended up with the 280 instead. You're spot on with your comments regarding the lack of performance - my car is an absolute slug around town and even in normal traffic you've got to keep it floored half the time, but get it out on the highway at 4000rpm or more and it's an effortless cruiser, able to comfortably exceed the speed limit for hours. I think the design of the cars is timeless, they are perfectly proportioned and yet so practical in so many ways - and the build quality is amazing, I remember having to remove one of my door handles to fix a broken lock mechanism and I was amazed by a)how simple it was to do and b)the quality of the part, like it was machined from a solid billet of metal - these cars were definitely built to last.
Amazing review. Love the authentic articulate talk.
Teal paint seems rare too. Thx much!
It looks like Petrol Blue ….if I am not mistaken.
The W126 in Petrol Blue was my dream car
Awesome color
Just flawless. The older I get the more I like the W116. A few good ones here in Australia (i.e. Euro spec w/o climate control, just regular air-con) for mid $10k to low $20k AUD. Very tempting.
What a wonderful and enlightening video of a truly iconic car 👍🏾
Great video Pierre I had a 1982, 300 CD that I bought new and wish I would have kept it. Was one of the best cars I ever had.
Fantastic video! A beautiful tribute to the W116
Pierre, what was the movie in Paris? Certain rendez vous?
Thank you for putting this together. These deep dive videos are much appreciated
W116 6.9...."King of S-Classes" 😉😁
Very nice vehicle I own the same identical vehicle,1980 same color but with beige interior and only 79,800 miles .
What a great video honoring the W116... Great work, as usual... Love watching these videos!
The JR Ewing car in Dallas 😅very popular with business people and professionals in South Africa 🇿🇦 where it was manufactured in 280 and 350 form
Love these cars, esp. the american tail lights
Great video! These are amazing cars for sure!
The W116 is what turned me onto Mercedes. And yeah, like a lot of people I guess, it was JR's 280SE (later 450SEL) on Dallas that got my attention. My bedroom wall had pictures on it from the S-Class brochure from '79, including a beautiful black 6.9 that just looked amazing to me as a teenager. I've had a 280SE, a 300SD and a 450SEL and loved them all. Yes, the 280SE was rather gutless, but that twin-cam inline six sounded beautiful while it was working it's ass off. I have to agree though, my favorite will always be the 300SD. Even the name of it sounded so cool when it came out in '78. 300SD TurboDiesel sedan. It was a mouthful but it just sounded right. My love affair with Mercedes basically ended after the W140 and W124. I recently test drove a 2008 W211 E350, and though a nice car, it just didn't have that certain something of a 70's or 80's Benz.
did u feel the 300SD less powerful than the 280SE?
@@MrRjnr No, not at all. Somewhat from a standing start because I live at high altitude (Denver, CO), so waiting for the turbo on the 300SD to wake up took longer. Once spooled up though, it had better acceleration than the 280SE. The same problem affected the 280SE though, just without turbo lag; not enough air to breathe. Both cars performed better when I took trips to sea level locations.
Loved the Video Pierre. I have a W116, 280SEL Aussie delivered and one of the last made according to the VIN. Ive been following you since you had 4000 subscribers, so great to see your channel grow. Starting to see you mentioned amongst my club and W116 groups I follow on facebook. All the best
As an owner of a 1978 6.9 I can not agree more with Pierre. I grew up admiring the 450SELs and aspiring to own one one day. It was of an era in which Mercedes actually stood for exceptional engineering rather than status symbol.
❤
Mr Hedary, as always a true and intelligent review of a star like the w116. I know that you prefer the w126, as I do. But the w116 was unique in the seventies and of course nowadays. Congrats and continue with awesomes reviews of this brand, that captured my heart from my youth. Thank you very much.
Happy Thanksgiving Pierre
With 295/50 R15 tires yes, you can change direction and stop really quick 18:00. Impressive handling the steering wheel makes just 2.7 turns
Great video sir. In my collection i have a w116 June 1980 production of the the last ones came out of the production line before it shut down.
This is how you grow your subscription followers, very good video, you should attend some classic car events and do some videos. Also do a video series on merks in movies. And merks on the move. Just a few ideas for your very good channel.
Well done keep up the great work. Cheers from Ireland.
beautiful video.
I've had a considered affection for these "modern classics" having owned a 6.9 some years back -
interested in your thoughts regarding that particular model especially in light of the criteria by which you judge this series ...
Thank god there is people make that restoration a preservation , and thank for you.
Great video, loved the long format. What an awesome color combo, i had a petrol over cream 300td, looks so good on the w116. Great timing to get me excited over the 116, as my 6.9 comes back from a long stint at the paint shop this week.
Great vid my mans
These cars certainly have pedigree. Pierre is essentially searching for the origin of the Benz DNA. Put that into question form and the answer would be something like the following.
These are the elements in my opinion.
1. MB invented the modern motorcar,
2. the Autobhan challenged the motorcar to improve and develop,
3.Millions of Americans wanted MBs, Motorsport and the drivers had their needs.
4. AMG. Yes the hot rodders at AMG knew a good thing when they saw it.
5. A big range of models means a big parts bin.
I can't recall seeing one of these in person around where I live - Mercedes only seemed to become common a bit later on.
I suspect and partly remember, in the UK, quite a proportion of old money liked Jags and new money wanted flashier stuff.
Man, I love that color! I've got an 85 300CD and I WISH it was that color.
My All Time Favorite Benz...when it came out it was Light years ahead of Any car on the planet. Even though it's my favorite because it was astonishing in style, innovation and build quality compared to ANY American luxury car at the time..Ill admit the w126 took the w116 to its next refined iteration.
W116 my favourite one, along side with W123 ❤
Nice video.👍👍
Amazing car lots of safety breakthroughs like the shift knob for example
I think its a beautiful car that has a timeless classy look.
I like the body style much more than my w124. The w124 would be a much nicer looking car if it had the bright work and trim of the earlier cars.
116 was the first fathers car after my born, efcorse ivory wite.