Legendary 6.9. Three Videos Added

1979 Mercedes-Benz 400-Series

YOU ARE VIEWING A 1979 450SEL 6.9 IN VERY NICE CONDITION. MUCH HAS BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT THESE RARE AND EXCEPTIONAL CARS, SO I WON'T DELVE TOO DEEPLY INTO DETAILS THAT CAN BE EASILY FOUND WITH A QUICK, FUN INTERNET SEARCH. VISIT US AThttps://www.markvmotors.com/NEEDLESS TO SAY, THEY ARE ICONIC AND RESIDE ON THE FRINGES OF UNICORN TERRITORY SO MUCH SO THAT THEY ARE SIMPLY REFERRED TO AS A "6.9". THERE ARE TYPICALLY A HALF DOZEN FOR SALE ONLINE AT ANY ONE TIME AND THEY ARE TYPICALLY LISTED FOR BETWEEN $20,000 UP TO AS MUCH AS $50,000 OR MORE FOR A PARTICULARLY NICE EXAMPLE OFFERED BY AN OPTIMISTIC SELLER. I GUESS MY POINT IS THAT THEIR VALUE AT THE MOMENT IS UP FOR DISCUSSION, BUT THEY DO CARRY THE INTANGIBLES: RARITY, POWER, STYLING AND ALLURE. SO THEY ARE AVAILABLE, BUT IN QUITE SMALL NUMBERS; AND TO SEE ONE "IN THE WILD" ACTUALLY BEING DRIVEN ANYWHERE OTHER THAN AT OR AROUND A CLASSIC CAR EVENT IS A SIGNIFICANT SIGHTING. I PARKED THIS ONE ON THE CURB AND WITHIN MINUTES IT WAS THE SUBJECT OF AN IMPROMPTU PHOTO SHOOT BY A GROUP OF GUYS AMAZED AT ITS PRESENCE IN OUR LITTLE VILLAGE. (THE FUNNY THING IS THAT THEY STOPPED TO CHECK IT OUT BECAUSE ITS AN ATTRACTIVE, VINTAGE 450,BEFOREREALIZING IT WAS A 6.9. AFTER THAT THEY WERE BORDERLINE INCOHERENT).
VISIT US AT:WWW.MARKVMOTORS.COM

HERE IS A LINK TO A COUPLE HUNDRED MORE PHOTOS:https://www.flickr.com/photos/137333740@N06/albums/72157711453230611

THIS IS A VERY NICE RUNNING AND DRIVING 6.9. ALL THE POWER ITEMS WORK, ALONG WITH THE CLIMATE CONTROL AND COLD A/C. THE ONLY ITEM THAT COMES TO MIND AS INOPERABLE IS THE CRUISE. I'VE DRIVEN IT QUITE A BIT AND HAVEN'T FOUND ANY QUIRKS THAT WOULD PREVENT ME FROM THINKING A LONG DRIVE WOULD BE ANYTHING BUT AN ABSOLUTE PLEASURE. IT IS COMING OFF 20 YEARS OF CARING OWNERSHIP AND IT SHOWS. THERE IS A SLIGHT LEAK IN THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM THAT APPEARS TO BE NO MORE THAN A SEASONAL 'TOPPING OFF' SITUATION THAT COULD BE RECTIFIED IS ONE IS SO INCLINED, OR IT COULD SIMPLY BE MONITORED AND KEPT UP WITH AS HAS BEEN THE PROTOCOL FOR THE LAST DECADE OR SO. A RECENT COMPRESSION TEST BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER SHOWS THE ENGINE TO BE IN VERY GOOD SHAPE AND LIKELY TO PROVIDE YEARS MORE FAITHFUL AND ENJOYABLE SERVICE.
THESE FINE AUTOMOBILES HAVE AN AVID FOLLOWING AMONG VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE COLLECTORS, SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THAT I HAVEN'T ANSWERED HERE OR IF YOU'D LIKE TO VIEW THE CAR IN PERSON, PLEASE CONTACT ME AT 315.271.7828. IF WE GET A NICE DAY IN THE NEAR FUTURE I PLAN ON DOING A WALK-AROUND VIDEO, SO PLEASE CHECK BACK IN. Here's that video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcBf6t858CA&t=13s
Here's a video with the car in the detailer's shop in bright light conditions:
https://youtu.be/aY3c6YcekXw

And another short video after getting it back from detailing:
https://youtu.be/rIYR3YIbm40
UPDATE: It's Halloween day and the clouds rolled in almost apologetically this morning, as if they knew their presence and what is held within them might ruin all the holiday fun this evening. But the 6.9 is tucked away, safe from both rain and adolescent tomfoolery, so I will sleep soundly after the candy has been handed out to all the ruddy-faced ghosts and goblins, and the world returns from its annual foray into creepiness. I hope everyone out there embraces the joyousness of the season, because for the little ones these memories can last a lifetime.Getting back to car items, I see that a 6.9 is set to start in several days on one of the other major online auction sites, so it will be a lot of fun to see how it does relative to my asking price. It looks like a good car, so keep an eye on it! I still can't believe how spectacular my 6.9 looks after having been pampered at the detail shop. As an excuse to take my 1990 XJ6 Sovereign out for a drive last night, I went to visit the 6.9 simply to admire it and make sure it was covered properly for the next owner. Oh, by the way, a former classmate of mine is putting on a farm-to-table dinner in support of a church restoration this Saturday, so I will be updating on Sunday as to how the evening went. Until then, Happy Halloween!UPDATE 11/9/19: The dinner was a roaring success! This, of course, is coming a guy that's never turned down a good meal:). But by all estimations, it was of the most enjoyable public gatherings I've attended in a long time primarily because it managed to tap into a nostalgic feeling and capture a sense of how we used to get together when I was a kid. People were dressed up and expectant, speeches and toasts were made and the food was plentiful. Granted, as a kid this was all kind of boring and uncomfortable grown-up stuff, but now its a breath of fresh air in a day-to-day existence for most of us that's dominated by superficial, meaningless interactions in the digital plane. (Is anyone else here fed up with talking to your stereo speakers?) Dare I call it an analog gathering? The term really seems to fit the experience, so I'll stick with it for now. And this is the same experience these vintage cars provide: a tactile, textured attentiveness to a moment in the real world. Compare this to the outwardly spooling, infinite nonsense of digital space and it almost makes one want to weep with joy at the chance for redemption they provide. Enjoy friends and family...and a long, lazy drive too:) Check back in for updates or shoot me an email if anything I've said here resonates.