Rough 1980 SD sells for $8400 on BAT
 

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1980-mercedes-benz-300sd-7/

Insane price for a reserve auction of a very rough car. This is a $3000 craigslist car IMO.
Now is the time to sell I guess.

Everyone in the comment section jerking off to this piece except 1 guy. Look at the windshield, they didn't even put the trim back in it because they didn't know what the hell they were doing. Rotten jack points painted to look strong. Rust all around. Runny paint. Car is a mess.

Umm, I know this car is not perfect, but if it's "very rough" I hate to think what mine are. I wouldn't even call it rough. Yeah the price seems a little high but W116 SDs are pretty scarce in general, and most of the ones I've seen are much worse than this ... plus even with the cosmetic glitches it's a 74K-mile car with maintenance stamps up to the last 5K. I wouldn't compare it to 123s because there are nice w123s all over the place. They built fewer than 30,000 300SDs and over a million 240D/300D/300TDs.

Wow, if that is $8400, what's the matter with this one:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/300-Series-300SD-TURBODIESEL-LEATHER-WOOD-ALLOYS-88K-MILES/163089056674?hash=item25f8dd83a2:g:lsIAAOSwPhhbG0r5&vxp=mtr

I guess its like real estate - location, location. East coast W116 cars are a rarity. I know of one green ga$$er that I see around. No others.

Yes location probably matters but like I said, scarcity in general. Plenty of decent or very nice w126s to be had all over. Same thing with 123 vs 115. I've seen lots of pretty meh 115s go for $5k while a decent w123 can be had for less than $2k. Yeah if you live in California it's easier to find any of them for cheaper. Everywhere else the 116/115 are getting to be extremely rare. And even in Calif, everything I look at, the 115/116 are higher than 123/126. Again, this one seems kind of high. But I'm not that surprised for an auction.

Got it. But I can't see any redeeming quality to want a 116 vs a 126, or a 115 vs a 123.

Maybe that's just me, but the MB diesel kind of hit its pinnacle.

Yeah, 124/210/211 cars have more modern qualities, but also start trading complexities.

Nothing against 115 or 116 cars, and the 116 is sure pretty, I wanted one for a long while. But my stable would be filled with a 126 SD, and then a V12 SL of some kind if I added more cars.

If I was looking for an oldie, I think Id look for a fintail.

Not being argumentative, that's just me... :)

Nah I get what you're saying. I think it's just a matter of taste and I'm guessing a lot of people would prefer the 126 or 123. I'd probably prefer a 116 to 126, but, considering you can find a great 126 for relatively cheap, I'd probably choose that. But the 116/115s do have a certain charm and I'm guessing that combined with fewer available has driven up the market. I suspect as 123s and 126s become more scarce (the fact that they aren't yet speaks to their quality) we will see a similar trend.

Of course what I really want is a W113. Dream on. Even R107s, which I'd be happy to have as well, have shot up in price unless it's a total junker (and when I say total junker, I mean actual total mess).

I highly prefer the W116 over the W123 or W126. I had figured that's how everyone else felt, and the reason most people chose W123s or W126s over the W116 was simply due to how scarce the W116s are. Interesting.

Care to share why? They're great looking cars, that's for sure.

My logic has been that the 123/126 was the furthest along in engineering design, before stuff started getting electrified.

I read long ago that 116s were very rust prone, my experience on the east coast backs that up.

when we're in the half-million production numbers for a chassis, I'm just not convinced scarcity is the biggest issue for value. Sure, there were not as many 116s than 123s. There were also far fewer 123 coupes than 123 wagons made - but wagons get a lot more dough.

In my opinion, the W116 is better-looking and seems to be higher quality. It is, of course, the S-Class to the E-Class W123. It's also a lot nimbler, has a much sharper turning radius, and is easier to drive than a W126--which feels like driving a big boat that's dragging its anchor, and is hard to park. I've never driven a car with a nicer ride than a W116.

A W116 is built more like a Rolls-Royce when compared to a W123, but it makes sense because the W123 was meant to be a more economy-minded vehicle. The W126 has too much plastic for my liking, and then anything newer than that, might as well just buy a new car.

Thanks. Makes a lot of sense. Agree that the 123 doesn't compare to a 116; rather, that comparison would be a 115.

I don't have firsthand driving experience of the 116 vs 126 - inteeeting info!

I've owned a 116 and 123 for many years. The 116 is a better built vehicle in almost every way and it feels so much better. But honestly, it should. Only thing I like better in the 123 is the climate control because Mercedes lost their mind on the 116 and thought using something from Chrysler was a good idea.

It goes to show you that MANY BaT cars are overhyped. People get into a bidding war and price goes up.

I would take a 123 over a 116 any day. With the same engine, same condition, same price - I’d go 123 every time. Just my preference - and just mentioning this to illustrate that preference for 116 is not universal.