Every so often we come across a car that just seems undervalued, especially when compared to other similar alternatives. And so it is with this oh-so-brown 1979 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 currently available via online auction with specialists The Market. Whichever way you slice it, it’s a whole lot of car for the money, and especially so when compared to the veritable Mercedes-Benz 600 ‘Grosser’ of the sixties.

At Classic Car Auction Results, we like to get involved with the club scene here in the UK. And the other morning, we joined several members from the Mercedes-Benz Club UK on a rainy Thursday morning as they convoyed in to the London Classic Car Show. One of the cars in our little group just happened to be one of the nicest 600 Grossers that you’ve ever seen.

You only need to open and close a door to marvel at the stunning build quality, and you can quickly understand why these cars became synonymous with dictators and rock stars alike. It was quite simply the best car in the world.

However, a nice Grosser (which is all you would ever buy – those hydraulically operated door latches and windows need serious love) is a £100,000 pound car these days.

We’re sure that you can see where we’re going with this. For less than a fifth of the cost, a nice 450SEL 6.9 is a lot more than a fifth of a Grosser. It might miss out on some of those classic Bruno Sacco lines, but it’s actually a better, faster car. And it’s just as well built.

James Hunt, Bernie Ecclestone and motoring journalists all over the world sang the 6.9’s praises, and it was actually used as the camera in the famous Rendezvous short film.

As these types of cars tend to, this particular example has an interesting history. It began life as an Embassy car in Qatar, it then spent time with wealthy families back in Germany and then in the USA, where it was maintained regardless of cost (again, important – the self-levelling suspension is complex). 15 years later, it was purchased by a UK enthusiast, who has kept up the rigorous maintenance schedule. It would easily be one of the best, if not the best, 450SELs around.

Which brings us back to our original point. No, it is not quite as cool as a Grosser. But it is also not nearly as expensive, and it provides a very similar experience. It prompts us to ask – is the 450SEL 6.9 on the brink of true collectability?

Words and Mercedes 600 photos by Andrew Coles