Mercedes-Benz has been building some of the finest cars in the world for more than 100 years. The company literally invented the automobile and, over the years, has created some truly landmark models including the prewar 500 and 540K, the 300SL and, more recently, the AMG Black Series. Beyond its sports offerings, it also builds the S-Class sedans—arguably the measuring stick for quality. Within the S-Class, there are a few true standouts; the first of these was the 300 SEL 6.3 sedan.
The 6.3, as Mercedes fans call it, was the first true high-power sports sedan. If you think that’s a crazy statement, then consider the 1970 Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan can cover 0-60 in 6.9 seconds and the quarter-mile in 15 seconds, with a top speed of 136 mph. By comparison, the 1970 911S, Porsche’s highest-spec pure sports car at the time, took 7.3 seconds to get to 60 and had a quarter-mile time only one-tenth of a second faster than the 300SE. If that’s not enough for you, Road & Track called the car “the greatest sedan in the world,” Motor Trend stated it was “the safest, fastest, and most comfortable 4-door sedan made today,” and racing legend Dan Gurney said the 300 SE 6.3 “was the best car he had ever driven. Bar none.”
Our AutoHunter Spotlight for today is one of these cars, a 1970 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3 offered by a dealer located in Gladstone, Oregon. The auction ends Tuesday, August 12, at 12:15 p.m. (PST).
This Mercedes is described as being powered by its reportedly original 6.3-liter SOHC M100 V8, mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. The car is painted in Beige Gray and brown two-tone over a Dark Tobacco Brown leather interior, and is now offered by the selling dealer with a clear title. It is one of a total of 6,526 300 SEL 6.3s produced by Mercedes-Benz from 1968-72.
The exterior of this car looks to be in exceptional condition, with few (if any) paint flaws to be seen in the provided photos. The seller does state there are minor imperfections, but the key word is minor. The car is equipped with factory 14-inch “bundt pan” wheels, which are period-correct in both size and style for this car. This really appears to be an extremely well-cared-for Mercedes.
The interior, with its aforementioned Dark Tobacco Brown leather, also looks to be in excellent original condition. The seats and door panels seem to be in fine shape with no noticeable flaws. The car is fully loaded with power windows, air conditioning, and a sunroof, and it still has the factory Becker radio.
The dash instrumentation includes a 150-mph speedometer and tachometer, gauges for oil pressure, temperature and fuel level, and a clock. I see no dash cracks and, like the rest of the car, everything looks to be in excellent condition.
Under the hood is more of the same, with the Mercedes 6.3-liter SOHC M100 V8 appearing to be both clean and completely unmodified. The entire engine compartment looks to be correct in every way and is in fantastic condition.
The underside of this Mercedes looks just as good. There appears to be no surface rust, it is very dry of oil, and is amazingly clean.
These Mercedes 6.3s are truly amazing cars, and collectors have caught on to this. I have driven a number of them over the years, and they never fail to impress. Quite a few of my friends own 6.3s; they tend to be the cars they would never consider selling. If you are in the market for one, this looks to be an example that, due to its quality, will demonstrate just what an excellent 4-door sports car the 300 SEL 6.3 is. That being said, you had better act fast and make a bid, as the auction for this 1970 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3 ends Tuesday, August 12, at 12:15 p.m. (PDT).
Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery
