“Most capable cars in 95 years”
For 1981, Mercedes-Benz’s big W126 S-Class sedan made its way into the North American market after a year of sales in Europe. There were two offerings—a 300 SD diesel sedan and a 380 SEL with an extended wheelbase. The BMW 733i and the Jaguar XJ6 Series III were putative competitors, though the new Mercedes was considerably more expensive.
The 380 SEL’s only available powertrain was the M116 155 bhp 3.8 liter/234 ci V8 with Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection paired with a four-speed automatic transmission. Road & Track clocked a 0-60 time of 10.1 seconds in a car with a 3,800-pound curb weight while mileage was 17 mpg by the day’s standards. With a relatively large 23.8-gallon fuel tank, range was between 330 and 365 miles with a 10% reserve.
The 380 SEL listed for an eye-watering $44,298—about $165,900 in today’s dollars (a modern S 580 4MATIC sedan starts at $128,600). Standard exterior and mechanical included tinted glass, halogen head lamps, an automatic power antenna, power assisted four-wheel disc brakes, power steering, and Michelin XVS 205/70HR-14 tires (a size still available) on 14-inch light alloy wheels. Interior equipment included 8-way electrically adjusted front seats, an electrically adjustable rear seat, a choice of leather or velour upholstery, cruise control, climate control, electric windows, a central locking system, and an electronic AM/FM stereo radio with a cassette player.
Options, Production Numbers, & Period Reviews
Since the 380 SEL came loaded, there were not a lot of options beyond the exterior and interior colors. An electrically operated sliding roof ($795) and heated seats ($360) were available.
Production numbers are hard to come by, but an estimated 20,000 380 SELs were imported into the United States for the 1981 model year. Period reviews were extremely positive—Road & Track concluded theirs with “quite simply, Mercedes’ new S-class is a class unto itself.”
The View From 2025
There is excellent club support for the 380 SEL, as there is for almost all Mercedes-Benz’s. That same club support warns potential buyers against the M116 engine’s notorious timing chain issues, though I believe nearly all of the original single chains have been replaced with double chains by now. There’s also frequent mention that the 380 SEL’s climate control did not meet the standards of domestic luxury car manufacturers in the early eighties.
That said, the W126 is frequently cited as the best S-class ever made—substantially improving over the already impressive W116.
According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, all the money for a 1981 Mercedes-Benz 380 SEL in #1 condition is $42,600, with a more normal #3 condition car going for $13,400. 380 SELs frequently appear for sale in the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and on Bring A Trailer.
Make mine Astral Silver Metallic, please.
Other Mercedes-Benz models I have written about included the 1980 450SL convertible, the 1985 380SL convertible, the 1985 300SD coupe, the 1986 560SEC coupe, and the 1989 560SL convertible.
Eighties Cars 