Car Model History

First generation · W116 · 1972–1980

1973Mercedes-Benz S-Class

The first car officially badged 'S-Class' (Sonderklasse). A safety-focused flagship that introduced the 450 SEL 6.9 V8 and, in 1978, the world's first anti-lock braking system (ABS) as an option.

First generation · W116

1973 Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W116) — sedan, front three-quarter view

Photo: “1973-1980 Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL (V 116) sedan (2016-07-07)” by EurovisionNim / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped to 16:9.

Start here

What do you need to know?

This page covers the whole 1973 Mercedes-Benz S-Class model year. Choose your task first; exact trims and engines are separated where the factory offered different versions.

Complete, source-verified lineup

Find your exact 1973 S-Class

Start with a family, body style, or engine. Every card opens the facts and maintenance information for that factory version.

2factory configurations
Verified complete for the U.S.-marketHow this lineup was verified

We checked this U.S.-market lineup against period sources for factory sedan, coupe, cabriolet, drivetrain, and powertrain roster represented by the cited exact-year or factory-archive evidence. Every version shown below has its own detail page.

Verified 2026-09-01 from Mercedes-Benz Club of America — W116 U.S. product specifications and model-year boundaries, Mercedes-Benz Public Archive — 116-series S-Class model history and production chronology.

2versions shown
Four-door rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan

Mercedes-Benz 450 SE Automatic

Body
Four-door rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan
Engine
4.5-liter M117 fuel-injected V8
Gearbox
3-speed automatic
Built
Regular production
Open exact version
Four-door long-wheelbase rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan

Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL Automatic

Body
Four-door long-wheelbase rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan
Engine
4.5-liter M117 fuel-injected V8
Gearbox
3-speed automatic
Built
Regular production
Open exact version

The 1973 model year

Overview

For the 1973 U.S. model year, Mercedes-Benz sold the W116 S-Class as the standard-wheelbase 450 SE and long-wheelbase 450 SEL, both with the 4.5-liter fuel-injected V8 and three-speed automatic. Mercedes-Benz's archive places the 4.5-liter W116 expansion six months after the September 1972 launch and identifies the 450 SEL as the first 100 mm longer version.

Specifications

Engines
  • 4.5-liter M117 fuel-injected V8
Transmissions
3-speed automatic
Body styles
Four-door rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan, Four-door long-wheelbase rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan

Year over year

What changed

  • The 4.5-liter 450 SE and extended-wheelbase 450 SEL established the U.S. W116 range.
  • The SEL's additional rear legroom came from a 100 mm wheelbase extension, not a separate body generation.

Worth knowing

Notable

  • This is the first full U.S. model-year roster after the W116's 1972 global introduction.

Living with it

Reliability & ownership notes

  • Confirm the data plate, engine, wheelbase, and market specification before ordering parts; global W116 chronology and the U.S. model-year roster are not interchangeable.
  • Inspect the fuel, brake, cooling, suspension, and corrosion-prone structural areas as complete systems; age and prior restoration now matter more than a generic model reputation.

Maintenance & service parts

Keep your 1973 S-Class on the road

Start with the service interval, then match the engine or exact version you own. Order links appear only when a catalog-backed part number is available, and every listing still needs a fitment check.

Service desk

What this car needs & when

Use this as a service-planning checklist for 1973 Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Start with the interval, confirm which engine or configuration you have, then use an exact ordering reference when one is verified.

Service topics
5
Factory intervals
4
Fitment-scoped
5
Exact references
1

Before orderingIdentify your engine, options and build date.Part numbers and sizes can change within one model year. Shopping links appear only for catalog-backed references; still verify the listing against your vehicle before ordering.

  • Engine oil and oil filter

    Sourced interval available

    Applies to: 1973 · United States · The factory sheet applies its 1973 passenger-car schedule to all models. Configuration-specific checklist boxes still govern individual operations; the entries below are only the all-model duties printed on the sheet.

    Published interval: 10,000 mi / 16,000 km · At every regular maintenance service.

    Source: Mercedes-Benz of North America — 1972–1973 passenger-car maintenance sheet · page 1 — 10,000-mile regular service includes engine-oil change and oil-filter service · checked

  • Additional maintenance work

    Sourced interval available

    Applies to: 1973 · United States · The factory sheet applies its 1973 passenger-car schedule to all models. Configuration-specific checklist boxes still govern individual operations; the entries below are only the all-model duties printed on the sheet.

    Published interval: 30,000 mi / 48,000 km · Additional work at the printed recurring mileage.

    Source: Mercedes-Benz of North America — 1972–1973 passenger-car maintenance sheet · page 1 — additional maintenance work every 30,000 miles · checked

  • Brake fluid

    Sourced interval available

    Applies to: 1973 · United States · The factory sheet applies its 1973 passenger-car schedule to all models. Configuration-specific checklist boxes still govern individual operations; the entries below are only the all-model duties printed on the sheet.

    Published interval: 12 months · Drain and renew once a year, preferably in spring; use only specified brake fluid.

    Source: Mercedes-Benz of North America — 1972–1973 passenger-car maintenance sheet · page 1 — drain and renew brake fluid once a year · checked

  • Engine coolant / antifreeze

    Sourced interval available

    Applies to: 1973 · United States · The factory sheet applies its 1973 passenger-car schedule to all models. Configuration-specific checklist boxes still govern individual operations; the entries below are only the all-model duties printed on the sheet.

    Published interval: 30,000 mi / 48,000 km · Fill, drain, and check the radiator coolant at the additional-maintenance interval.

    Source: Mercedes-Benz of North America — 1972–1973 passenger-car maintenance sheet · page 1 — radiator-coolant fill/drain/check at 30,000 miles · checked

  • Engine air filter

    Exact reference available

    The part reference below is catalog fitment only; retain the separately sourced factory service interval where one is shown.

    Applies to: 1973

    450 SE — 4.5-liter M117 fuel-injected V8

    K&N E-1650

    Applies to: 1973 · 4.5-liter M117 fuel-injected V8 · 450 SE · Exact 1973 450 SE engine application. Confirm VIN and build date before ordering.

    Source: K&N Engineering — 2017 European Automotive Catalog, S-Class application tables (archived copy) · 1973 Mercedes-Benz 450 SE 4.5L V8 Gas — E-1650 · checked

    Verified ordering references

    450 SEL — 4.5-liter M117 fuel-injected V8

    K&N E-1650

    Applies to: 1973 · 4.5-liter M117 fuel-injected V8 · 450 SEL · Exact 1973 450 SEL engine application. Confirm VIN and build date before ordering.

    Source: K&N Engineering — 2017 European Automotive Catalog, S-Class application tables (archived copy) · 1973 Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL 4.5L V8 Gas — E-1650 · checked

    Verified ordering references

Collect

Bring this model year home

Find a scale model using the exact year, make, and model—not a generic generation search.

Sources

  1. Mercedes-Benz Public Archive — 116-series S-Class model history and production chronology
  2. Mercedes-Benz Club of America — W116 U.S. product specifications and model-year boundaries

Other First generation years

Explore the W116 generation →All First generation · W116 years →

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