A car that could do 225 km/h and drank more than you on a weekend

This was a machine born in an era when Germany didn’t ask, “Can we?” but instead shouted, “Why not make it even more ridiculous?”

In 1975, Mercedes-Benz unveiled the 450 SEL 6.9 — a luxury saloon humbly described at the time as “the best car in the world.” And no, that wasn’t just some marketing clown making noise. This thing was enormous, thunderous, and regal — as if Goethe himself had climbed behind the wheel and demanded more torque with his poetry.

At the top of the food chain, this wasn’t just any S-Class. This was the S-Class, wrapped in velour, balanced on a hydropneumatic cushion of air and oil, and ready to launch itself down the autobahn with aristocratic fury.

The name came from its 6,834 cc V8 heart — an engine borrowed from the legendary Mercedes 600 limousine. It churned out 286 horsepower and 550 Nm of torque, propelling the stately beast from 0 to 100 km/h in just 7.4 seconds. In 1975!

Today, it feels like a car that could fly — or at the very least, spit contemptuously at the sea of modern crossovers clogging our roads.

Inside, it offered standard features that were borderline science fiction for the time: climate control, central locking, cruise control, power windows, headlamp washers, and seat belts for both rows. And of course — velour. More velour than you'd find in the Berlin State Opera.

Sit in the back, and it felt like you were gliding first class on a private railway — piloted by an irate gentleman who hated compromise and loved speed.

Mercedes didn’t just fit it with springs. No, they built an entirely new hydropneumatic suspension system that kept the car’s ride height constant, whether the boot held one briefcased banker or three metric tonnes of caviar. It was the kind of comfort that made you question why shock absorbers even exist.

Special 215-wide tyres — not the bicycle-width ones everyone else was using at the time. Twin exhausts, because if you’re commanding a 6.9-litre V8, it needs to sound like a V8 — not like a hairdryer. And the legendary forged Fuchs wheels? Those were optional. You had to pay extra for the privilege of perfection.

Only 7,380 units were ever built. Today, the 450 SEL 6.9 has become a gold standard of the classic car world, with values rising every year like a cold-start idle. A well-preserved one will easily fetch over €80,000.

Mercedes-Benz Classic still stocks original parts. Want the proper steering box? That’ll be €3,756. And that’s why real 6.9s aren’t bought by people who merely have money — they’re bought by people who have taste.