Manual transmission 450SE ?
 

As a result of my curiosity with Mercedes with manual transmissions (very rare in Australia), I have been speaking to the owner of a 450SE with 4-speed manual transmission. He is not the original owner but claims to know the history of the car. He assures me it was an Australian delivery from new and he believes it was delivered with manual transmission.

I was of the opinion that Mercedes-Benz did not fit manual transmissions to anything larger than the 3.5 litre M116 but here is the owner of a W116 with the 4.5 litre M117 with manual transmission.

I have not seen the car but have obtained chassis and engine numbers to see what they reveal. The chassis number begins 116 032 22 which suggests a right-hand-drive 450SE with automatic transmission. The engine number begins 117 986 21 (I am puzzled by the "21"). I would have expected that to have been ordered from the factory with manual transmission (if this was even possible) the chassis number would begin 116 032 20 and the engine number 117 986 20.

Anyone have any ideas?

If you have time you can write to: MBAG, D70322, Stuttgard, Germany, and as ask for the production card on the car, which will tell you for sure what it was from the factory. You need to include proof of ownership, which means the current owner may have to do it.

PS - I am inclined to think that 2 in the eighth digit designates an automatic. If that's the right digit for transmission, that would be definitive - it's been converted.