Must admit I agree with the last statement "When I think of Merc this is what I think of." I still struggle to think of Mercedes when I see an A class.
I see an A-class, I wonder why the driver didn't spend far less money on a better handling, better equipped, better looking, and probably better built Ford Focus.
@@TheGalacticEmperorOfLabels because badge is more important than everything! How else would your neighbours know you make slightly more money than them but have considerably less taste and knowledge?! 🥴🤣
@@nolandderlugner1351 my neighbor has one!!!!! he says it sucks lol, to me, it feels like any other c / CLA class. Cheap Mercedes . Eh just the badge, a nice Camry probably drives better imo
In 1991/2 I had a Saturday job in the local Merc showroom. They had one of the first 600 SEL's in the UK in stock. If the Space Shuttle had been parked in there I wouldn't have been as mesmerized, this car was on a different planet back then. Proper proper thing.
Great vid, thanks for posting, have one of these, best car ever. I sold my 2014 W222 as it had too many issues which Mercedes could not resolve. Bought a 1992 600 SEL 57k FMBSH , fixed the common problems myself, now cruising in style with zero depreciation. My third W140, I have never had a car that rides as smooth.
Usually chauffeured cars much like limousines people don’t wear the seatbelts. However had Diana amd the others been wearing one they would have survived. The guy in the front passenger seat did. And he had on a seat belt. This particular Mercedes was the absolute safest car on the road to be in if you were going to take on an accident. All though there are reports and even a small video that report the Mercedes S280 Diana was in bad actually been involved in a serious accident and “rebuilt” to a very poor “structural standard” sometime before the hotel had even had ownership of the car. So even with belts their chances of survival would have been higher but still maybe not as high as they could have been.
that story is not told like it happen ,there are cars that make the same tunel more fast and don´t have accidents or crashes much more a SEL from the 90´s i have a diesel version of it
@@adams7405 I don’t think that’s entirely true. They are very complex cars that cost a lot to maintain and run. They reached an age a long time ago where they weren’t viable to run and maintain economically outside of a few enthusiasts. And they aren’t a limited production car or anything of the like so no one was too fussed when they go off to the scrapyard. It has nothing to do with whether they were ‘any good’ or not. It’s simply economics.
rare Exactly. E39s, yet having plenty of old electronics, is far more simple than a W140. Comparing it with a 750iL V12 would be more accurate. Plus, as much as I love land yachts sedans, the higher you go in class, the harder depreciation hits. The S-Class and 7-Series are of course no exception to the rule. Without getting into the strongly appreciating E39 M5, the 540i can also be worth next to nothing if in terrible shape, but now hold a good value (especially if it's a 6 speed) if properly maintained. Those were the last of an era before BMW went excessively complex with unreliable electronics, still suitable for a wrenching enthusiast.
W140 is by far the best, it's a beast and there is no replacement for the breed. The 600SEL is awesome but I always thought the S320 was just about right in size, power and economy. It's the boss when it's in black with a beige interior. A true gem that filled my childhood and as an adult it still demands respect after all these years.
I had one of these (1992 600SEL) 20 odd years ago and kept it for 3 years. I was still working at the time so wasn't concerned about the single figure MPG. Reliable although expensive to service, supremely comfortable. Only once warm, acceleration was impressive, there are those who claim it's still accelerating hard at 120MPH! You have to sit behind or in front of a V12 some time in your life.
I've only just found your channel and I love how you describe cars from a very subjective standpoint. I feel you state the facts as facts and the certain quirks as opinions, which most other youtubers do not. Keep up the good work!
My dad had one while I was growing up in the 90s. Amazing car. We miss it very much; unfortunately had to sell it due to mechanical problems. Thanks Jay, for providing yet another great video!
Mercedes engineers should have 2 portraits on the walls of their offices in Stuttgart from now to eternity: one of the W140 and one of Bruno Sacco leaning on a W140.
@@aljaliah6868 while I agree there Is something more sinister behind her accident. He is right it was proven. She was alive for over an hour after the accident. She later dies from internal bleeding. Had she worn a seatbelt she would have lived and they would have tried to do another way.
@@garrettdodson6110 What makes you think they didn't "try to do another way" anyway ? The accident is just for us to see (a cause of death), what happened afterwards could be anything , we will never find out !!! As far as THEY were concerned , Diana had to go !!!
Pretty good road test and commentary ! Have had mine since it was just a few months old; an ex M/B executive turned his into the dealership in Naples FL when it was around 5 months old. I was parts shopping on the 'right day' and it didn't last an hour on the floor at a very good discount off full retail. I must say it likes the premium fuel, but is a bullet proof car as I maintain it with fervor. A '97 model it is now going on 27 years old since it was created in Sindelfingen; A truly MAGNIFICENT piece of quality
I just bought one, it's only 3.2 cc but boy the quality is evident. It's my dream drive to own one, you are definitely right, they don't make such car anymore today. So in essence i'm owning a true classic and enjoyed every minute of it. The mileage is 299000 kilometres is just nothing, the m104 is bulletproof. Very well made this merc of that era.
After the W124 or W201 they tried to be cost effective. The market changend global because a lot of cars got financed and now they needed to up the cycle of Innovation and models. That lead to cheap of and the results you could see in the quality of the cars of that area. Last 2 Model Cycles it really got better again, but as you have to put a lot of gadgets in a car today, it will be never that bullet prove again. You can see it today on brands which had been very reliable in the past. Nissan, Toyota - all went down because of that more complexity and shorter livecycles of the models.
When young had a new one which gave 14mpg, at the time it was fast in a straight line and up hill it could take most other cars on the road. The merc garages replaced, without me requesting, free of charge the rubbers around all the door and the gearbox because they did not like the tolerances. It did not start once, I was in France, the Mercedes garage sent 2 mechanics from their garage to fix it, times gone by were different to now I think. If I ever went into any Merc garage anywhere in the Europe with the 600 it was magiced away immediately and valeted.
I remember first it on the old clarkson vhs he has referenced in another video. It came on reversing up to the fiesta 1.25 ghia JC had just driven in his quest for the worlds best car. Parked back to back wth the ford on a cruchy gravel drive of some big fancy house. Showing off its parking sensors. Oh the nostalgia. For the real car geeks among us ,What car in 1996 in a somewhat left field vote gave the luxury car of the year award to the e320. Ahead of an a8 a 7 series and jag xj6 which were all full sized luxury cars, citing the big s as being too pricey and the e320 almost as capable for half the cost! 🤨 this was the era when what car started to be on bmw and fords payroll so it was a bit of a turn up.
Not many sedans will ever be raising in value. But I think this one will. It's somewhat iconic car and while the S has always set the standard for "the best car in the world"-competition, none of W140 successors quite captured the hype and magic what was surrounded this model when it came out. BMW made the V12 before this which was a big deal back then. I think Jaguar had already dumped the V12 at this point. And nobody really took BMW seriously before the 750i. And when the W140 came out it just CRUSHED the competition. This was so much better car, so advanced and when you go to one of these you'll see the absolutely SUPERB build quality. This is one mighty car and I might just buy one of these in the future. Great review again.
You said it perfectly. Mercedes will never be spending that kind of money to build a car again, and that's too bad because in 92' it was the definitive leader of all automobiles. As in the best possible car you can buy (not for the corners, but as a sedan? There were none better). It's studded with tech that may or may not have trickled down to the average car today, but it had a whole lot of first to brag about. Basically, if you ever woke up the dictator of a country, it wasn't a questionnaire of what car to buy, but rather a question of what colors and options your W140 would feature. Big, bold, and to these eyes still beautiful.
I agree with these models being the last of the "proper" Mercedes. Up to around the mid nineties Mercedes, from the 190 up to the S-Class, were always beautifully engineered machines. Many years ago I bought two, in the space of a couple of months, and although they were both in need of a lot of work and pretty rusty, the doors still sounded and felt like bank vaults when closed. Not only that, but the first one I bought, a 1970 280SE, had been sat in a yard for 2.5 years with the boot lid and bonnet left open. I trailered it home, bought a new battery for it, spent about half an hour stripping and cleaning the electric fuel pump, pulled the fuel line off at the injector pump to get rid of the stale fuel in the lines and tank, then once it was back on, turned on the ignition to get some fresh fuel in, then cranked it over for the first time. I couldn't believe it, but it just about fired straight up, then just settled into a steady idle. I'd always known Mercedes were well engineered, but this made me respect them even more. Especially when this particular car had obviously had a hard life and had been more or less abandoned for the last 2-3 years, yet, apart from a siezed fuel pump, it started after the first couple of turns of the crank. Although after many years of building cars of questionable quality during the late nineties through to the noughties, Mercedes seem to have pulled it together recently, but I still don't think they're anywhere close to where they once were. There is obviously a lot more competition in the luxury car market these day's, whereas back in their heyday, they more or less stood alone, and in terms of engineering excellence, no one could touch them.
Funny what time can do. When the W220 first came out, I remember seeing the Quentin Wilson test drive and thinking, wow, that's in a completely different world to the W140. I still think much the same today, only for completely different reasons.
Great video. Spot on about the largess of modern cars....that particular (Merc in the video)was SUPPOSED to be LARGE. that was its role. The modern 911’s are killing me! They’ve become MASSIVE! I guess I’m a Luddite, but I prefer the size of the older aircooled versions, they’re the right size for a sports car; the V-12 Merc is the correct size for what it is. 😉
My 1997 C230 has many of the same styling cues and legendary build quality of the era. The w202 succeeded the beloved 190's and the lusty 2.3 Cossy was amalgamated and homogenized into the stout M111. At over 230,000 miles, I believe value has been had with this mine. This V12 you are showcasing did what it did better than anyone at the time - a different time - and the golden era of all builders from 1990/1995 and post OBD 1996-2003.
thanks for this - looks a great car and enjoyed seeing local roads. Got lent a 190 and c36 a few years ago and loved them but had a A class as work hire car last week and it was rubbish, preferred the usual i30 hire car.
my boss from work has a S600L 6.0 V12 with under 100.000 km/s on it, bought it new, still looks like a brand new car, he still has it, and drives it occasionally. But that he still has it after 20 years is very special to me. Now he has a newer S class, Wich is not quitte the old one, but still a great car.
My absolute dream car. Not this one, the 600 is just president tier and a bit unnecesarry but a 500 would be spot on. In the last 3 years their values are shooting up, especially late 95-98 S500 models. A few years ago some african and middle eastern chaps came through europe and swooped up the good affordable ones, one day i opened autoscout to look at W140s and there were less than a hundred of them, all cost upwards of 20k€ and only early low km S600L's. Right now a late 420/500 costs at least 10k€, thats for rust free cars. With >250k km and 5 owners. Rust is another major issue with these. I couldnt afford one back when they sold for reasonable money, now i can only dream about it. Im jelous at americans, they can buy these cars for almost nothing.
Most comments made here come from people that don t have a clue about the W140 lineup, less about the the M120 v12 engine. All Mercedes lovers rave about them but they really have no idea what these cars cost to maintain, because they are old and they do break occasionally. It is the small bits that break and they cost a lot of cash( remember the v12 cost up to 150k $ back in 1991!) After owning a w140 S600 coupe for some time ( I loved it, don t get me wrong) I can make some valid observations: - they were expensive new, very well built cars but, contrary to common belief, they were built on a budget - Mercedes pioneered new materials in the W140 that failed miserably : biodegradable wiring looms insulation made from soy beans that failed within 3 to 4 years, corrected after 1995. This led to massive electrical problems in those cars prior to '95. - coupes had massive double glazed windows, and engineers supported them on tiny plastic bushing guides that broke very early. Typically Mercedes you cannot buy the separately, only comlplete mechanism assembly for about 1600$ each! For 4 small cheap plastic bushings.
And another point is the M120 engine itself that develops multiple leaks from gaskets whatever the mileage, it is age that causes them to fail and many other rubber parts in the engine bay because these v12 run very hot in the summer. - another point I would like to outline: bear in mind that these are afterall old cars, they are very complex, have many plastic parts that simply break of age ( sunblind mechanism, headrest mechanism, etc) and they WILL cost a arm and a leg to replace. I loved my s600 coupe to bits but, altough I had many other old complex cars ( Bmw 840Ci, Porsche 928gt), I would never own another one again.
biodegradable wiring looms had nothing to do with Mercedes it's the tree hugging policies of the German government. Similarly, the water based paints in the early 2000's was a tree hugging policy of the German government. How can you claim the W140 was built on a budget when they spent over a billion dollars developing it that's insane after this was when they built things on a budget. Also, these engine's are fantastic.
Loved my CL 600 ~ Remember now taking her out for some exercise in the evening in the Dorset countryside and the 1998 machine gulping fuel like an alcoholic enjoying a liquid breakfast. Made of granite and capable of surviving a missile attack ! Loved it.
It is a normal full-size car, it is not the largest sedan made in that era. But the build quality and materials are wonderful in those. And the design is soo cool!
L is the Long chassis , a few inches longer than the classic S class of the time . It even had an option which was ... Orthopedic seats . It's kinda hard to find this model in good or perfect condition
My strongest memory of this car was watching a local farmer blasting over the in the field behind my home and thinking what the %^&*!. A wonderful piece of automotive engineering but never a thing of beauty. I would however quiet like a blast down an autobahn if someone else was covering the cost. Good watch.
Just to ad some info ..... . 2020 is almost here . Every time i take mine out for a Sunday spin , standing at red traffic lights ,behind me i occasionally notice Flashes ,Not from speed or red light cams but from other motorists that just take a picture of my 600 . Took me a while to figure that out . Ok she might be black with beige interior big wheels & black windows but hey, not bad for a 92 600SEL that is almost 30 years old now , drives like new & is in immaculate condition inside - out & engine compartment which is cleaner then my wifes kitchen.
She was not killed in the car. She survived. She died on the way to the hospital because they saw no signs of internal bleeding. Plus they took 20 minutes getting her out. The car saved her life even though she wasn't wearing a seatbelt. This car is amazing!!!!
i have the 600SEC V12 that after the year 95 started to be released as a CL600, that doeasn´t make any sense as the CL is the coupé from the C-class and compare a super sport coupé with a brazilian made or 50% made body CL270 diesel doesn´t even have half the size of the SEC
Great video. The Mercedes star is begging for some Autosol metal polish though; it’s a satisfying job so, go treat yourself. Best wishes, love the channel.
The W140 is the last big S-class but it's the first "non-classic" Mercedes thanks to the dozens of electrical equipment, look at the W124 or W201, they have electrical equipment: ABS, fuel injection, seats, seat heaters, and maybe sun roof, airbag.. Also the biodegradable wiring harness on W140 (and 1993-> W124) which fails due heat from the engine
Had three of these including the CL600 and loved them. But the biodegradable wiring loom was a rather major annoyance. Lovely to drive long distance though.
A walk around the car would have been nice too. I like - and I think it was available on these - the rear parking aids: a stalk rasing at the end of the boot to indicatethe end of the car.
Mate I did hit the nice button ( No 553 ). Thanks for your video. But as you mentioned ,a few times ,it's a very big car, but all we got was a couple of side shots of it as it went along some country lane. A shot of it somewhere with a walk around would perhaps help us in accepting what you say is a large car. But then again it may have been a very cold day, so all is forgiven.
And to think Jeremy Clarkson has a Mercedes 600 Grosser. He called it a dictator car. I got to ride in the predecessor to this car, as the owner was a friend of the family. I love this car except I'd want a different color. I completely agree with your sentiment. Thanks.
I have a W210 E55 estate car, it's a great AMG engine wrapped in a rusty tin can full of delicate gadgets, the accountants finally beat the engineers into submission at the end of the 80's which was a shame, my old '72 280ce had a throttle linkage made from girders and horsehair insulation stuffed into it everywhere for example.
@@JayEmmOnCars The Only good use they have is when you reverse & watch people jump out of the way behind you as they get scared thinking they can Shoot something (007 style), i had that recently while watching Reverse Cam on mine, a small family jumped behind the car park column ,lol .
A truly great S class series, especially this 600 (what an unlikely red color! These are typically best in shiny black exterior and tan interior (preferable to gray or black). TOo bad the tech in it is obsolete today, they did not even have factory navigation back in 1999, while my Magnificent 7 (740iL) 1998 had one, and it cost half what this cost at the time!
someone near me has one of these. unfortunately he doesn't seem to treat it well. not only do they park a first gen porche cayenne (the minger), but they park it with the number plate touching the number plate of the Merc
Mercedes isn’t what it used to be, just look at the CLA. Mercedes in the 70s and 80s would never of considered building a car like that. Don’t get me wrong bmw is also going that way with so,e of its models but I think Lexus is the new quality benchmark.
Not at all. I had a recent Lexus and it was less reliable than my AMG, which was flawless. Lexus is not what it used to be! Not that reliable, ugly as hell, and completely boring to drive.
I'm not an engineer so it's hard to judge but the cost for mechanical insurance on a Mercedes is substantially higher than that of a comparable Lexus of the same year. However, in defence of Mercedes, they offer a wider range of cars and engines many of which are probably higher performance than a Lexus. Overall I don't think many people buying a new Mercedes are worried about reliability because they'll probably flip it for a new one in 2-3 years when the factory warranty runs out.
For sure. Lexus IS 100% the new benchmark for quality. All 6 Lexus I’ve owned have made it well over 300,000 miles. No issues. Nothing ever falls apart. Just quality, luxury, serenity, reliability.
First of all I'd like to apologise. You've been in my recommendations for a few days and the name of your channel made me write it off as another "Seen through glass" let me throw my money in your face channel. I almost blocked it. Then I folded and watched. What a great video. Thank you. New subscriber here. Hope when I binge watch everything you've made, I still feel the same.
Thanks for giving in to temptation Lee, I hope you enjoy the rest of the content. I can recommend the crap cars playlist for fun, or the JDM list for cool stuff.
That's ultimate luxury sedan. Get the least equipped with v6 without all that bells and whistles which fallen apart and make it a money pit and it is still a great value. There is no better ride comfort, soundproof interior. Absolutely top.
How come you only have 27K subs? You speak in such a way that it's calm yet not boring. You're very knowledgable and your video and audio are amazing! Thank you for uploading! I've liked and subscribed. All the best :)
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Must admit I agree with the last statement "When I think of Merc this is what I think of." I still struggle to think of Mercedes when I see an A class.
Paul Quigley to many models now
I see an A-class, I wonder why the driver didn't spend far less money on a better handling, better equipped, better looking, and probably better built Ford Focus.
@@TheGalacticEmperorOfLabels because badge is more important than everything! How else would your neighbours know you make slightly more money than them but have considerably less taste and knowledge?! 🥴🤣
@@TheGalacticEmperorOfLabels LMAO
U clearly never driven an a class
@@nolandderlugner1351 my neighbor has one!!!!! he says it sucks lol, to me, it feels like any other c / CLA class. Cheap Mercedes . Eh just the badge, a nice Camry probably drives better imo
In 1991/2 I had a Saturday job in the local Merc showroom. They had one of the first 600 SEL's in the UK in stock. If the Space Shuttle had been parked in there I wouldn't have been as mesmerized, this car was on a different planet back then. Proper proper thing.
Great vid, thanks for posting, have one of these, best car ever. I sold my 2014 W222 as it had too many issues which Mercedes could not resolve. Bought a 1992 600 SEL 57k FMBSH , fixed the common problems myself, now cruising in style with zero depreciation. My third W140, I have never had a car that rides as smooth.
I've never associated these with Diana. I associate Diana with not wearing a seatbelt.
who goes in a car and doesn't wear a seat belt?
Yeah and the guys in the front seats with
The belts on survived
Usually chauffeured cars much like limousines people don’t wear the seatbelts. However had Diana amd the others been wearing one they would have survived. The guy in the front passenger seat did. And he had on a seat belt. This particular Mercedes was the absolute safest car on the road to be in if you were going to take on an accident. All though there are reports and even a small video that report the Mercedes S280 Diana was in bad actually been involved in a serious accident and “rebuilt” to a very poor “structural standard” sometime before the hotel had even had ownership of the car. So even with belts their chances of survival would have been higher but still maybe not as high as they could have been.
that story is not told like it happen ,there are cars that make the same tunel more fast and don´t have accidents or crashes much more a SEL from the 90´s i have a diesel version of it
This and 560 SEC ultimate benz for me. Love it.
SEC AMG 👌
My grandad has a W140 S320. Amazing car. One of the best cars I’ve ever ridden in. Not many W140’s left now.
If they were that good plenty would survive..over half the BMW E39's built since 1996 are still on the road.
@@adams7405 I don’t think that’s entirely true. They are very complex cars that cost a lot to maintain and run. They reached an age a long time ago where they weren’t viable to run and maintain economically outside of a few enthusiasts. And they aren’t a limited production car or anything of the like so no one was too fussed when they go off to the scrapyard. It has nothing to do with whether they were ‘any good’ or not. It’s simply economics.
@@rare6499 Very well said. I have a 95 S320 that I keep in tippy-top condition (really) and I have no plans to ever sell!
rare Exactly. E39s, yet having plenty of old electronics, is far more simple than a W140. Comparing it with a 750iL V12 would be more accurate.
Plus, as much as I love land yachts sedans, the higher you go in class, the harder depreciation hits. The S-Class and 7-Series are of course no exception to the rule.
Without getting into the strongly appreciating E39 M5, the 540i can also be worth next to nothing if in terrible shape, but now hold a good value (especially if it's a 6 speed) if properly maintained. Those were the last of an era before BMW went excessively complex with unreliable electronics, still suitable for a wrenching enthusiast.
2021 who still want this dream?
me me me
@@sketchbabu Meeeee
@@GdaySport Lmao First Of All No One Needs Testicles Second That Car Not That That Expensive Anymore 😂
This one and the W126
@@MiguelRuiz-db6xu sorry w126 is even better like this
The african dictator special. Lol
Mr. Cairo *That would actually be a 600 Grosser.
A 600 Pullman yes ;)
mh87351 this is not in Great Britain?
W140..the last of the real Mercedes.The modern S-Class is good but still can't beat the w140 in terms of build quality and over engineering.
That and the R126.The last proper mercedes cars, completely overengineered and still up to date when it comes to extras.
@Imran A The 400S/S420 and 500S/S500 both have a variant of the M119 V8 engine.
Except i wouldnt call over engineering a positive.
Overengineering is the problem with modern benzes. Cost a fortune to maintain and repair
W140 is by far the best, it's a beast and there is no replacement for the breed. The 600SEL is awesome but I always thought the S320 was just about right in size, power and economy. It's the boss when it's in black with a beige interior. A true gem that filled my childhood and as an adult it still demands respect after all these years.
I had one of these (1992 600SEL) 20 odd years ago and kept it for 3 years. I was still working at the time so wasn't concerned about the single figure MPG. Reliable although expensive to service, supremely comfortable. Only once warm, acceleration was impressive, there are those who claim it's still accelerating hard at 120MPH!
You have to sit behind or in front of a V12 some time in your life.
This car forms part of my earliest memories. My grandpa had one of these in the early to late 90's...colossal car then and now- one of my favourites
I've only just found your channel and I love how you describe cars from a very subjective standpoint. I feel you state the facts as facts and the certain quirks as opinions, which most other youtubers do not. Keep up the good work!
Cheers!
Love this! I’ve just bought an old 90’s SL500 and love that era
Congrats..that's a chunk of treasure..
Thanks for watching?? Thank YOU so much for bringing this video up. Cheers!!!
I had a W123 estate and for a time my parents had a W124 estate. Like this car, the last generations of the great Mercedes Benz. They are much missed.
My dad had one while I was growing up in the 90s. Amazing car. We miss it very much; unfortunately had to sell it due to mechanical problems. Thanks Jay, for providing yet another great video!
The small town you drove through was where I was brought up as a kid for 20 years, instantly recognisable even at speed thanks!!!
Mercedes engineers should have 2 portraits on the walls of their offices in Stuttgart from now to eternity: one of the W140 and one of Bruno Sacco leaning on a W140.
Sad little fact of the Diana accident is that had the occupants been wearing seat belts they would have all survived the crash.
THEY KILLED HER, WAKE UP, NOTHING TO DO WITH SEATBELTS !!!!
@@aljaliah6868 while I agree there
Is something more sinister behind her accident. He is right it was proven. She was alive for over an hour after the accident. She later dies from internal bleeding. Had she worn a seatbelt she would have lived and they would have tried to do another way.
@@aljaliah6868 who's they?
@@marc7983 Don't act STOOOOPID !!!! Please !!!!
@@garrettdodson6110 What makes you think they didn't "try to do another way" anyway ? The accident is just for us to see (a cause of death), what happened afterwards could be anything , we will never find out !!! As far as THEY were concerned , Diana had to go !!!
Pretty good road test and commentary ! Have had mine since it was just a few months old; an ex M/B executive turned his into the dealership in Naples FL when it was around 5 months old. I was parts shopping on the 'right day' and it didn't last an hour on the floor at a very good discount off full retail. I must say it likes the premium fuel, but is a bullet proof car as I maintain it with fervor. A '97 model it is now going on 27 years old since it was created in Sindelfingen; A truly MAGNIFICENT piece of quality
I just bought one, it's only 3.2 cc but boy the quality is evident. It's my dream drive to own one, you are definitely right, they don't make such car anymore today. So in essence i'm owning a true classic and enjoyed every minute of it. The mileage is 299000 kilometres is just nothing, the m104 is bulletproof. Very well made this merc of that era.
Mercedes changed for the worse in my opinion. One of my favourites is the 300CE-24 with a manual gearbox of course.
After the W124 or W201 they tried to be cost effective. The market changend global because a lot of cars got financed and now they needed to up the cycle of Innovation and models. That lead to cheap of and the results you could see in the quality of the cars of that area. Last 2 Model Cycles it really got better again, but as you have to put a lot of gadgets in a car today, it will be never that bullet prove again. You can see it today on brands which had been very reliable in the past. Nissan, Toyota - all went down because of that more complexity and shorter livecycles of the models.
I had one and it was a nightmare of repair costs, permanent !
@@rohannock Good thing I don't own one then, I just really like the look of them. I'll stick with my ultra reliable MGB GT.
Mids 90s they shifted for the worse!
merc now is just tech filled with tech no quality anymore
The M120 is a MERCEDES engine , although some other manufacturers bought them from Mercedes and modified them .
When young had a new one which gave 14mpg, at the time it was fast in a straight line and up hill it could take most other cars on the road. The merc garages replaced, without me requesting, free of charge the rubbers around all the door and the gearbox because they did not like the tolerances. It did not start once, I was in France, the Mercedes garage sent 2 mechanics from their garage to fix it, times gone by were different to now I think. If I ever went into any Merc garage anywhere in the Europe with the 600 it was magiced away immediately and valeted.
Remember these more for Diana dying in one,but then if she was wearing a seat belt she would still be here
I remember first it on the old clarkson vhs he has referenced in another video. It came on reversing up to the fiesta 1.25 ghia JC had just driven in his quest for the worlds best car. Parked back to back wth the ford on a cruchy gravel drive of some big fancy house. Showing off its parking sensors. Oh the nostalgia. For the real car geeks among us ,What car in 1996 in a somewhat left field vote gave the luxury car of the year award to the e320. Ahead of an a8 a 7 series and jag xj6 which were all full sized luxury cars, citing the big s as being too pricey and the e320 almost as capable for half the cost! 🤨 this was the era when what car started to be on bmw and fords payroll so it was a bit of a turn up.
Not many sedans will ever be raising in value. But I think this one will. It's somewhat iconic car and while the S has always set the standard for "the best car in the world"-competition, none of W140 successors quite captured the hype and magic what was surrounded this model when it came out. BMW made the V12 before this which was a big deal back then. I think Jaguar had already dumped the V12 at this point. And nobody really took BMW seriously before the 750i. And when the W140 came out it just CRUSHED the competition. This was so much better car, so advanced and when you go to one of these you'll see the absolutely SUPERB build quality. This is one mighty car and I might just buy one of these in the future. Great review again.
You said it perfectly. Mercedes will never be spending that kind of money to build a car again, and that's too bad because in 92' it was the definitive leader of all automobiles. As in the best possible car you can buy (not for the corners, but as a sedan? There were none better). It's studded with tech that may or may not have trickled down to the average car today, but it had a whole lot of first to brag about. Basically, if you ever woke up the dictator of a country, it wasn't a questionnaire of what car to buy, but rather a question of what colors and options your W140 would feature. Big, bold, and to these eyes still beautiful.
Today I saw an identical car to this parked up in Harrogate. 600SEL
I agree with these models being the last of the "proper" Mercedes. Up to around the mid nineties Mercedes, from the 190 up to the S-Class, were always beautifully engineered machines. Many years ago I bought two, in the space of a couple of months, and although they were both in need of a lot of work and pretty rusty, the doors still sounded and felt like bank vaults when closed. Not only that, but the first one I bought, a 1970 280SE, had been sat in a yard for 2.5 years with the boot lid and bonnet left open. I trailered it home, bought a new battery for it, spent about half an hour stripping and cleaning the electric fuel pump, pulled the fuel line off at the injector pump to get rid of the stale fuel in the lines and tank, then once it was back on, turned on the ignition to get some fresh fuel in, then cranked it over for the first time. I couldn't believe it, but it just about fired straight up, then just settled into a steady idle. I'd always known Mercedes were well engineered, but this made me respect them even more. Especially when this particular car had obviously had a hard life and had been more or less abandoned for the last 2-3 years, yet, apart from a siezed fuel pump, it started after the first couple of turns of the crank. Although after many years of building cars of questionable quality during the late nineties through to the noughties, Mercedes seem to have pulled it together recently, but I still don't think they're anywhere close to where they once were. There is obviously a lot more competition in the luxury car market these day's, whereas back in their heyday, they more or less stood alone, and in terms of engineering excellence, no one could touch them.
I have a 93 S500 tucked away. It's an awesome tank and incredibly well built.
I got this 92 SEL 600 v12 merc parked in my garage have owned it for 20 years, never use it anymore, petrol to expensive 🤔
Absolutely brilliant review. Many thanks.
Hi JayEmm. I've just discovered you. I like your presentation style and content and have subscribed. Got to love these old petrol-swilling barges!
Thanks JP!
The Houses He Drove By Are SOOOO Beautiful, And The Clean Sidewalks! + SEL = Satisfaction...aaaaahh
You look good driving it, maybe you have found a soul mate :)
I watched the whole video til the end 🌟 the narrator's voice is so soothing and clear💓... Good job ..subscribed 👍🏻
Funny what time can do. When the W220 first came out, I remember seeing the Quentin Wilson test drive and thinking, wow, that's in a completely different world to the W140. I still think much the same today, only for completely different reasons.
This V12 is beautiful. WHY did Mercedes go back to cheaping out via ugly engines with plastic shrouds?? That twin turbo is legendary though.
I feel obliged to say thanks for yet another superb and thoroughly entertaining, well presented video, so thanks.
My pleasure, thanks for watching
Great video. Spot on about the largess of modern cars....that particular (Merc in the video)was SUPPOSED to be LARGE. that was its role. The modern 911’s are killing me! They’ve become MASSIVE! I guess I’m a Luddite, but I prefer the size of the older aircooled versions, they’re the right size for a sports car; the V-12 Merc is the correct size for what it is. 😉
Huge v-12 fan here.....and the MB v-12 was probably the best v-12 ever produced.....Sorry Lamborghini but I said best not most powerful.
Give me the Mercedes S450 SE 6.9L .
My 1997 C230 has many of the same styling cues and legendary build quality of the era. The w202 succeeded the beloved 190's and the lusty 2.3 Cossy was amalgamated and homogenized into the stout M111. At over 230,000 miles, I believe value has been had with this mine. This V12 you are showcasing did what it did better than anyone at the time - a different time - and the golden era of all builders from 1990/1995 and post OBD 1996-2003.
Nearly bought the r129 sl600 but went with the sl60 amg 6l v8 its mad and drinks like a fish
thanks for this - looks a great car and enjoyed seeing local roads. Got lent a 190 and c36 a few years ago and loved them but had a A class as work hire car last week and it was rubbish, preferred the usual i30 hire car.
IF Princess Diana had been wearing a seatbelt, she would most certainly have survived the accident. I had a 400SEL and it was a truly special car.
my boss from work has a S600L 6.0 V12 with under 100.000 km/s on it, bought it new, still looks like a brand new car, he still has it, and drives it occasionally. But that he still has it after 20 years is very special to me. Now he has a newer S class, Wich is not quitte the old one, but still a great car.
My 93 500 SEL is the ship I'm going down with.it will out last me though. The V8s make a wonderful sound, too.
And the 7.3 AMG Engine from the SL r129 is used the Zonda.
My absolute dream car. Not this one, the 600 is just president tier and a bit unnecesarry but a 500 would be spot on. In the last 3 years their values are shooting up, especially late 95-98 S500 models. A few years ago some african and middle eastern chaps came through europe and swooped up the good affordable ones, one day i opened autoscout to look at W140s and there were less than a hundred of them, all cost upwards of 20k€ and only early low km S600L's. Right now a late 420/500 costs at least 10k€, thats for rust free cars. With >250k km and 5 owners. Rust is another major issue with these.
I couldnt afford one back when they sold for reasonable money, now i can only dream about it. Im jelous at americans, they can buy these cars for almost nothing.
I do agree with you but the 500sel is the one for me.. More classy than post-facelift.
I recall that it was even so large that the France railroad had to order wider carriages in order to make the car fit on their auto trains.
A friend had a w140 S500. got rid of it recently, but damn that was a great car
Most comments made here come from people that don t have a clue about the W140 lineup, less about the the M120 v12 engine. All Mercedes lovers rave about them but they really have no idea what these cars cost to maintain, because they are old and they do break occasionally. It is the small bits that break and they cost a lot of cash( remember the v12 cost up to 150k $ back in 1991!) After owning a w140 S600 coupe for some time ( I loved it, don t get me wrong) I can make some valid observations:
- they were expensive new, very well built cars but, contrary to common belief, they were built on a budget
- Mercedes pioneered new materials in the W140 that failed miserably : biodegradable wiring looms insulation made from soy beans that failed within 3 to 4 years, corrected after 1995. This led to massive electrical problems in those cars prior to '95.
- coupes had massive double glazed windows, and engineers supported them on tiny plastic bushing guides that broke very early. Typically Mercedes you cannot buy the separately, only comlplete mechanism assembly for about 1600$ each! For 4 small cheap plastic bushings.
And another point is the M120 engine itself that develops multiple leaks from gaskets whatever the mileage, it is age that causes them to fail and many other rubber parts in the engine bay because these v12 run very hot in the summer.
- another point I would like to outline: bear in mind that these are afterall old cars, they are very complex, have many plastic parts that simply break of age ( sunblind mechanism, headrest mechanism, etc) and they WILL cost a arm and a leg to replace. I loved my s600 coupe to bits but, altough I had many other old complex cars ( Bmw 840Ci, Porsche 928gt), I would never own another one again.
Relax man. The window regulator can easily be replaced for 50€ (I did it on mine) and the engine wiring can be replaced for around 400€.
biodegradable wiring looms had nothing to do with Mercedes it's the tree hugging policies of the German government. Similarly, the water based paints in the early 2000's was a tree hugging policy of the German government. How can you claim the W140 was built on a budget when they spent over a billion dollars developing it that's insane after this was when they built things on a budget. Also, these engine's are fantastic.
Strangley enough, it does seem to suit you very well. Though if it was yours, you would have to do a LPG conversion to keep your bank manager happy.
LPG on a V12 ?????
@@TheRazvy1990 - Though I wasn't that serious; it has been done before on BMW V12s!
@@TheRazvy1990 thats the point of lpg. Use less money on big engines.
Great and very original classic review, nice job
Loved my CL 600 ~ Remember now taking her out for some exercise in the evening in the Dorset countryside and the 1998 machine gulping fuel like an alcoholic enjoying a liquid breakfast. Made of granite and capable of surviving a missile attack ! Loved it.
Love this!
Всем владельцам Mercedes здоровья и благополучия ! 👍😎 Были W201,W140, теперь W124, 86 г "рождения".
Floyd Mayweather still owns his W140 S600.
Wow, I love these cars. Big by American standards too! Great video.
It is a normal full-size car, it is not the largest sedan made in that era. But the build quality and materials are wonderful in those. And the design is soo cool!
L is the Long chassis , a few inches longer than the classic S class of the time . It even had an option which was ... Orthopedic seats . It's kinda hard to find this model in good or perfect condition
Oh I love your shirt! Suits the flamboyance of the car.
what an amazing car that is!
amazing car,.. W140
Really good review Jay.
My strongest memory of this car was watching a local farmer blasting over the in the field behind my home and thinking what the %^&*!. A wonderful piece of automotive engineering but never a thing of beauty. I would however quiet like a blast down an autobahn if someone else was covering the cost. Good watch.
Beauty was never a goal
Just to ad some info ..... . 2020 is almost here .
Every time i take mine out for a Sunday spin , standing at red traffic lights ,behind me i occasionally notice Flashes ,Not from speed or red light cams but from other motorists that just take a picture of my 600 . Took me a while to figure that out .
Ok she might be black with beige interior big wheels & black windows but hey, not bad for a 92 600SEL that is almost 30 years old now , drives like new & is in immaculate condition inside - out & engine compartment which is cleaner then my wifes kitchen.
She was not killed in the car. She survived. She died on the way to the hospital because they saw no signs of internal bleeding. Plus they took 20 minutes getting her out. The car saved her life even though she wasn't wearing a seatbelt. This car is amazing!!!!
The V12 is great, the biodegradable wiring harness that is probably unreplaceable today is less so.
The Zonda used the 7.3 V12
Only at the end
i have the 600SEC V12 that after the year 95 started to be released as a CL600, that doeasn´t make any sense as the CL is the coupé from the C-class and compare a super sport coupé with a brazilian made or 50% made body CL270 diesel doesn´t even have half the size of the SEC
Great video. The Mercedes star is begging for some Autosol metal polish though; it’s a satisfying job so, go treat yourself. Best wishes, love the channel.
The W140 is the last big S-class but it's the first "non-classic" Mercedes thanks to the dozens of electrical equipment, look at the W124 or W201, they have electrical equipment: ABS, fuel injection, seats, seat heaters, and maybe sun roof, airbag.. Also the biodegradable wiring harness on W140 (and 1993-> W124) which fails due heat from the engine
These are classic Mercedes and will rise in value just watch the s73 is already incredibly rare.
Had three of these including the CL600 and loved them. But the biodegradable wiring loom was a rather major annoyance. Lovely to drive long distance though.
In Nov 22 I’m not sure fuel prices are still dropped! What a thing these where in 1992 I was 22 and could but dream.
I love these in this color. So much better than silver, black, or white.
A walk around the car would have been nice too.
I like - and I think it was available on these - the rear parking aids: a stalk rasing at the end of the boot to indicatethe end of the car.
This car had them. They were useless!
JayEmm on Cars useless but cool
my friend had the s500 amg and i fell in love with it
That would make a fenomenal daily driver! Those S classes were the last ones made to last.
Mate I did hit the nice button ( No 553 ). Thanks for your video. But as you mentioned ,a few times ,it's a very big car, but all we got was a couple of side shots of it as it went along some country lane. A shot of it somewhere with a walk around would perhaps help us in accepting what you say is a large car. But then again it may have been a very cold day, so all is forgiven.
And to think Jeremy Clarkson has a Mercedes 600 Grosser. He called it a dictator car. I got to ride in the predecessor to this car, as the owner was a friend of the family. I love this car except I'd want a different color. I completely agree with your sentiment. Thanks.
I feel like most S70 and S73 models have somehow all made their way to Russia
I know this video is 2 years old but I noticed that the car has an NI reg which I think is pretty cool
well what a coincidence, I am watching this in August
The host is a quite enormous specimen of a human being
I have a W210 E55 estate car, it's a great AMG engine wrapped in a rusty tin can full of delicate gadgets, the accountants finally beat the engineers into submission at the end of the 80's which was a shame, my old '72 280ce had a throttle linkage made from girders and horsehair insulation stuffed into it everywhere for example.
You forgot to mention the backup antennas, I believe it’s still the only series model which had that on board. Before backup radars, cameras etc...
I did film a sequence with them but wanted to keep the runtime down. Also, they were useless.
@@JayEmmOnCars The Only good use they have is when you reverse & watch people jump out of the way behind you as they get scared thinking they can Shoot something (007 style), i had that recently while watching Reverse Cam on mine, a small family jumped behind the car park column ,lol .
A truly great S class series, especially this 600 (what an unlikely red color! These are typically best in shiny black exterior and tan interior (preferable to gray or black). TOo bad the tech in it is obsolete today, they did not even have factory navigation back in 1999, while my Magnificent 7 (740iL) 1998 had one, and it cost half what this cost at the time!
W140 and W124 where always special for me
someone near me has one of these. unfortunately he doesn't seem to treat it well. not only do they park a first gen porche cayenne (the minger), but they park it with the number plate touching the number plate of the Merc
Mercedes isn’t what it used to be, just look at the CLA. Mercedes in the 70s and 80s would never of considered building a car like that. Don’t get me wrong bmw is also going that way with so,e of its models but I think Lexus is the new quality benchmark.
Not at all. I had a recent Lexus and it was less reliable than my AMG, which was flawless. Lexus is not what it used to be! Not that reliable, ugly as hell, and completely boring to drive.
All BMW and Merc shite compare them to the quality in the 80s
I'm not an engineer so it's hard to judge but the cost for mechanical insurance on a Mercedes is substantially higher than that of a comparable Lexus of the same year. However, in defence of Mercedes, they offer a wider range of cars and engines many of which are probably higher performance than a Lexus. Overall I don't think many people buying a new Mercedes are worried about reliability because they'll probably flip it for a new one in 2-3 years when the factory warranty runs out.
For sure. Lexus IS 100% the new benchmark for quality. All 6 Lexus I’ve owned have made it well over 300,000 miles. No issues. Nothing ever falls apart. Just quality, luxury, serenity, reliability.
/// M ,would HAVE.
First of all I'd like to apologise. You've been in my recommendations for a few days and the name of your channel made me write it off as another "Seen through glass" let me throw my money in your face channel. I almost blocked it. Then I folded and watched. What a great video. Thank you. New subscriber here. Hope when I binge watch everything you've made, I still feel the same.
Thanks for giving in to temptation Lee, I hope you enjoy the rest of the content. I can recommend the crap cars playlist for fun, or the JDM list for cool stuff.
W140 is the best S class, i have one with 5.000 kms since 1993.
if possible it will last for more 25 years.
That's ultimate luxury sedan. Get the least equipped with v6 without all that bells and whistles which fallen apart and make it a money pit and it is still a great value. There is no better ride comfort, soundproof interior. Absolutely top.
I have one in Kampala Uganda. Fully restored. Where are speed limits are 50km/hr
How come you only have 27K subs? You speak in such a way that it's calm yet not boring. You're very knowledgable and your video and audio are amazing! Thank you for uploading! I've liked and subscribed. All the best :)
Thanks Erwin. It is indeed a great mystery.
I actually wondered the same thing. I liked and subscribed.
The Bentley Turbo r was the big, fast, luxurious boat of the time period for me
The Bentley is a dinosaur compared to this Mercedes.
I got a S500 W140 and it’s a great vehicle.
All my respects, nice video