Mercedes Benz 300 SDL

1987 Mercedes-Benz 300-Series SDL

We have owned this remarkable 300SDL for over a year and during that time drove it almost 14,000 miles. So if you are looking for a well-sorted original Mercedes-Benz luxury diesel with under 100,000 miles read on.

I want to tell you right up front that I am a “car guy”. I searched for this 300SDL and recognized right away what an opportunity this one would be to fulfill my ambition to drive a Mercedes Benz everyday - one without 25 computers and an electrical harness waiting to implode.

This is how special this Mercedes is. We drove it from our home in Connecticut to Miami a year ago. We drove to the famous Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach for dinner. As we pulled up to the valet it seemed like every Rolls-Royce and Bentley sold last year was parked out on the front line flanking the entrance to the lobby. The valet men hustled over to us an, opening the doors for me and my wife. “Whoa, old school classic”, said the Valet. “we’ll leave it up front”. So while all of the new Benzes and Porsches that were behind us got shuffled off to the lower garage, we were given priority parking in between 2 Phantoms.

Our diesel was special ordered by a Dallas socialite in 1986 and delivered a few months later in ‘87. She specified the unique color combination (441 Desert Taupe/277 Burgundy) and the addition of the rare (for a diesel) and expensive reclining rear seat option. She took delivery of the majestic Mercedes Benz and owned it exclusively until her death in 2013. It passed to a family friend who coincidentally is a certified Mercedes-Benz Diesel technician.

We took delivery of the Mercedes in July of 2014. It had been driven just 80,000 miles and all by the Dallas lady. She serviced the Mercedes at Stephenson Mercedes Benz until her death. We have many of the more recent service documents plus all books and the unused tool kit and spare. Our job was to baseline all of the service needs so we began by a thorough check of all systems. We flushed brake fluid, coolant, A/C system, fixed a few small leaks, replaced the tires and installed new Koni shocks at all 4 corners. By the way, there are no records or any indication pf previous overheating and it has always used Mercedes-Benz coolant specified by the factory.

The original Becker radio was replaced with an aftermarket unit so we sourced a remanufactured OEM Becker unit from Becker Auto Sound with an iPod adapter. New wiper blades for the windshield and the headlights insured good visibility in all kinds of weather. But there would be no snow or slush duty for this one. That job fell to our trusty Subaru.

Currently, there are no mechanical issues and of course, none anticipated. The interior is beautiful. The leather has been fed a few times, carpets steam cleaned and custom Furstil Coco Mats installed. The wood is in great condition as well.

A good amount of original paint is present. The doors were refinished mainly to repair a series of door dings that accumulated over the years. That information comes from the intake reports at the Mercedes dealer where “multiple door dings, dents” were noted. When I received the car a year ago last July, only one noticeable dent was present and remains present to this day. An unfortunate flaw in an otherwise excellent body. You can decide, as the new owner, to live with or repair it.

Just before I put it away for the winter, I had to replace the climate control electrical panel and the heater control valve. So it is ready to to to be enjoyed by the next owner as is. It is back on the road for the season and everything is ship shape.

So there you have it. An excellent example of what some people say is the last of the great Mercedes-Benz long wheelbase S-Klasse sedans. That coupled with the legendary long life of the Turbo-Diesel engine make this one a compelling candidate. Remember, this isn’t a car languishing in some dealers inventory. We use this car daily in season and will continue using it until the next owner presents themselves. A fully sorted classic ready for the next adventure.

Call Michael Maddalena to discuss this Mercedes-Benz 203-417-6856

• Condition: Used
• Make: Mercedes-Benz
• Model: 300-Series
• SubModel: SDL
• Type: Sedan
• Trim: LONG WHEELBASE
• Year: 1987
• Mileage: 95,850
• VIN: WDBCB25D8HA298252
• Color: DESERT TAUPE
• Engine size: 6-CYLINDER TURBO DIESEL
• Number of cylinders: 6
• Fuel: Diesel
• Transmission: Automatic
• Drive type: RWD
• Interior color: Burgundy
• Safety options: Anti-Lock Brakes, Driver Airbag
• Options: Cassette Player, Leather Seats, Sunroof
• Vehicle Title: Clear
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