This 1977 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL was delivered new to California. It is finished in the factory 906 gray-blue paint over a blue interior with wood trim. It is in original condition and is optioned with Becker AM/FM/cassette radio, automatic antenna, air conditioning and sunroof. It shows just 82,846 miles from new. The Mercedes-Benz 450 SE and SEL sedans replaced the 300SE 4.5-liter V8 engine, which was the last of the 1960s "tall grille" Mercedes sedans. The changes were largely to meet the stricter U.S. safety requirements, and the big bumpers necessitated a redesign of the body. The new engine also powered the new 1972 R107 350SL and 450SL convertibles. The 450SE sedans were widely considered one of the best cars for the money in their day, with a 217hp fuel-injected, 4.5-liter SOHC V8 engine, 3-speed automatic transmission, independent suspension and disk brakes all round, as well as standard air conditioning. The SEL model stretched the wheelbase 4 inches for back-seat passengers and sported a hydro-pneumatic self-leveling suspension. With the arrival of the 116 came a raft of passenger car "firsts" from Mercedes-Benz, including padded door trim around the windows, padded steering wheel, safety padding on the dashboard, dual asymmetric windscreen wipers, headrest with a center depression, rainwater flow management system, pedestrian focused exterior design, ribbed taillights to keep them cleaner for longer and more. It was also one of the first passenger cars available with an air bag and ABS. As a class-leading car in both luxury and safety, the S Class became the quintessential chauffeur-driven saloon - a trend that has continued to this day. Factory options on this 450SEL include a Becker-Mexico radio cassette full stereo (AM/FM - U.S.A.; 518), automatic antenna (531), automatic climate control (581), heat-insulating glass all around (592), heated rear windowpane (laminated glass), band filter, elimination of warning triangle (638) and California version (494).