Earliest W126 - Any Way Of Finding Out For Sure?

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Arthur Daley

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Oct 9, 2009
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As some of you know I currently have a 1981 W registration W126 280se which is in excellent good order. I use the car as a daily driver at the moment and because I don't have a big enough garage at present it sits outside. Interior is immaculate. Exterior is very very good apart from some slight cosmetic rust on the front wings which will be sorted soon.

The question is, because my car was registered in April 1981, could I have something special here i.e. the earliest W126 still on UK roads....is there any way of finding out??

Also...could anyone give me a rough guide as to value?? I know this is difficult but the car is in show worthy condition and I do go to shows in it. It must be one of the better ones left, although it's by no means concourse.

I may decide in the next few months to retire the car from every day use if I get a big enough garage. Just want opinions on whether this is a good idea or whether I should just use it daily still??

I await the debate.......!!!!!:)
 
The W126 saloon was launched in 1979 so yours won't be the earliest by some way. If it was an SEC that would be different, they were launched in 1981.
Just my opinion, if your happy with it and it doesn't let you down, use it.
 
Although LHD ones came out earlier , official imports to the UK started later .

I remember driving the one featured in CAR magazine when it came on a tour of the UK for the launch of the W126 series - this was a silver 380SE , registration (from memory) was something like TLB 10W - this was at Dickson's of Perth . The magazine article stated that this was the first RHD car to come to the UK , so it must have been part of MB's press/promotional fleet .

The OP's 280SE may well be the earliest survivor - it certainly beats my B reg one ; the only other 280 I have seen was also a B . Stempies on here also had a 280SE before he got his current W124 - I can't remember what Reg his was , but have an idea it might have been an 'A' ?

Furthermore , the last W116 cars sold here were also on W plates : the one I had was originally W registered , although I got it with a non dating Irish number plate , which went with the car when I sold it on ( the plate was probably worth more than the car ) .
 
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Guys I think Derek is right. I am sure the car was first tested in the UK towards the end of 1980. I would love to know if anyone has an earlier one. Do you think it would be worth writing to Merc UK to see if they might know?
Cheers
 
You could write quoting your chassis number - they won't know which ones still exist , but they will be able to tell you how near the start of UK deliveries yours was .

Watch they don't try to buy it back for the museum at Brooklands - they might try to fob you off with a new one ( that is how the Stuttgart museum used to acquire cars of interest to them ) .
 

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