Good Find Friday features interesting vehicles we’ve found for sale while conducting market analysis or appraisal research. They are not for sale by Wolf and Mare and we have no business relationship with the sellers. We just think they’re worth learning about and sharing with our readers!

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Today’s Good Find Friday post is the fourth in our “Cars of Ronin” series and sfter featuring a few bit players, we’re now getting into the stars of the film. Today’s car ranks highly on enthusiasts’ lists of favorite Ronin vehicles for a host of reasons. We’ll touch on these attributes as we explain why today’s find, a 1976 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9, is s great buy.

Released in 1998, Ronin is a crime thriller set in Europe and directed by the legendary director John Frankenheimer. The story follows a group of professional mercenaries hired to steal a mysterious metal case, depicting their planning, shifting alliances, and pursuit across Paris and the south of France. It’s a fantastic piece of cinema with a terrific ensemble cast and is one of my all-time favorite movies.

Thanks to the movie’s extended and realistically staged car chases that eschew visual effects in favor of real action (aside from a somewhat pitiful use of digital smoke in one scene), Ronin has become a cult film among automotive enthusiasts.

The W116 generation of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class was introduced in 1972 as the follow-up to the W108/W109 generation cars and was the first time the “S-Class” designation was formally applied to the marque’s flagship model. Developed during the late 1960s, the W116 was engineered to meet more stringent global safety and emissions standards while maintaining a consistent production specification across markets.

The car was manufactured primarily in Sindelfingen, Germany, and remained in production until 1980. The range included both standard and long-wheelbase sedans, with a variety of inline-six and V8 engines, as well as notable technical features for the period such as standard anti-lock braking systems on later models, reinforced passenger safety structures, and updated climate control and electrical systems.

Within the W116 lineup, the 450SEL occupied the upper tier of standard production models, using a long-wheelbase chassis paired with a 4.5-liter V8 engine and expanded rear passenger space. Introduced in the mid-1970s, it was positioned above the 450SE through additional rear legroom and a higher level of standard equipment.

The most technically distinct variant was the 450SEL 6.9, launched in 1975, which replaced the 4.5-liter engine with a 6.9-liter dry-sump V8 derived from the earlier Mercedes-Benz 600 limousine. This model also featured a hydropneumatic self-leveling suspension system in place of conventional springs and dampers, larger brakes, and revised drivetrain components to accommodate the increased displacement and torque. Production of the 6.9 was limited relative to other W116 variants, and it was sold only in long-wheelbase form until the end of the W116 production cycle.

Today’s Good Find Friday car is listed for sale by one of my favorite European car dealers, CarGold out of Germany, with an asking price of €49,500 or about $59,000.

The Mercedes 450SEL is used to dramatic effect in Ronin. It’s one of three total vehicles used to hunt down and attack a vehicle caravan transporting a mysterious silver case — the other two being a 1997 Peugeot Expert van painted up like a Ricoh service truck and a German sports sedan we’ll cover in a future article. During the dynamic chase, the 450SEL peels out of a parking spot (leaving a trail of embarrassingly fake digital smoke), whips around the tight corners of Nice, and speeds down winding mountain roads while DeNiro’s character lobs RPGs at the bad guys.

Finished in metallic gray paint over a beige leather interior, our car today doesn’t match the Milano Brown over brown leather combination on the film car, nor does it have a sunroof, but it makes up for it in other ways. First, the overall condition of the car appears to be excellent, and second it is said to have served as personal transport for Marcel Dassault, founder of the aircraft company Dassault Aviation.

It’s a slicktop, meaning there’s no sunroof from which you can pop up and launch shoulder-fired missiles at other cars on the road, but it does have a very cool interior partition. The long-wheelbase 450SEL was well suited for limousine use and this car has been outfitted with a retractable glass screen and intercom system. After looking at tons of 450SELs over the years, this is the first one I’ve seen with such a modification and it’s super cool.

As you can imagine, the head of an company that built aircraft for the French military needed privacy on occasion. Dassault is a fascinating man who was treated horribly during the Second World War for not cooperating with the invading forces. After WWII, he managed to recover and led the postwar revival of the French aircraft industry. He was a titan in France, and if someone who survived brutal mistreatment in Buchenwald can go on to purchase a German luxury automobile as his personal transport, then we should all be able to forgive.

The selling dealer’s manner of dress in the video above (translated captions on!) is meant to honor Dassault’s style, and is one reason I like this dealer.

The Mercedes-Benz 450SEL was an outrageously expensive car when it came to the USA, partly due to importation costs. The sticker price of almost $40,000 in the late 1970s would equate to almost $200,000 today after accounting for inflation. For your dollar, you got a car that looked very much like any other 450SEL but that’s what gives the 6.9 its wolf in sheep’s clothing charm.

As you can expect, there’s a massive price differential for the Mercedes 450SEL based on its engine specification. The average price of the 4.5L V8-equipped 450SEL is around $15,000, whereas the 6.9L car is more than double that at a $35,000 average price. Values have dipped since the Covid buying spree, with prices leveling off for the 4.5 and ticking up a bit for the 6.9 in the last 6 months.

At $58,000 you might think this car is overpriced, but I disagree. With its well-preserved condition and interesting ownership history, this is a nicely priced car. You’ll have to pay to import it, but the only 450SEL I can find for sale in the United States right now is this black example listed for $79,800, and it is a US-spec model (with the ugly diving board bumpers) and no notable provenance.

I wish I could buy this car myself and bring it to the US, as its history would be such a cool story to tell at Cars & Coffee, but I truly hope a Frenchman acquires this beauty and brings it back to the homeland — maybe for a spirited drive through the narrow lanes of Nice.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Wolf and Mare provides car finding, appraisal and auction services for sellers and buyers of collector European cars. We also provide importation services. Give us a call or drop us a line!