mercedes 450 sel 6.9 with new mot

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Very nice
 
Those chrome arch trims not good, not original equipment. Lots of rust hiding.

If the suspension has not been serviced correctly, a fortune !! And maybe a marmite interior ?
 
A nice example indeed.

I'm surprised by the power output, it doesn't seem very high.

Net power @4250 rpm
(World) 286 PS 210 kW
Net torque @3000 rpm
(World) 405 lbf·ft 549 Nm

This bit makes sense, but is little understood.

"The 6.9 was the first Mercedes-Benz to be fitted with the hydropneumatic self-levelling suspension system introduced by Citroën in 1954, unlike the 600 and 6.3 which employed air suspensions. Using a combination of fluid-filled struts and nitrogen-filled pressure vessels or "accumulators" in lieu of conventional shock absorbers and springs, the system was pressurized by a hydraulic pump driven by the engine's timing chain. Compared to the new Mercedes-Benz system, Citroën's was belt-driven, exactly like a conventional power steering pump; failure of the Citroën system thus might result in loss of suspension. Conversely, every unit of the 6.9 was shipped with hard rubber emergency dampers that served as temporary springs and allowed the car to be driven in the event of a hydraulic failure. The special hydraulic fluid required by the system was stored in a tank inside the engine compartment. Not only was the system totally self-adjusting, ride height could be altered by a dash-mounted push-pull knob under the speedometer that raised the car an additional two inches (50 mm) for increased ground clearance. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) made this feature illegal in the US market,[citation needed] but it could be enabled simply by removing a limiter at the tank-mounted control valve.
US market 450SEL 6.9

The suspension system gave the 4200 pound (1900 kg) car the benefits of both a smooth ride and handling that allowed it, in the words of automotive journalist David E. Davis, to be "tossed about like a Mini.""
 
Low mileage, one owner from new, sounds too good to be true.
Shame about poor photos, here is what interior should really look like, removing the poor photo's colour cast.
 

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I rather like chrome arch trims on the right car of the right era, and I think they improve its looks rather than detract from them. Sadly, though, it's highly likely they are hiding rust as well.
 

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