Car Model History

First generation · W116 · 1972–1980

1978Mercedes-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

1978 Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W116) — sedan, front three-quarter view

Photo: “Mercedes-Benz 1978 Bulldogtreffen 2012” by Gwafton / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Cropped to 16:9.

Start here

What do you need to know?

This page covers the whole 1978 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 1978 S-Class

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

3factory 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.

3versions shown
Four-door rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan

Mercedes-Benz 280 SE Automatic

Body
Four-door rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan
Engine
2.8-liter M110 fuel-injected inline-six
Gearbox
4-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
Four-door long-wheelbase rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan

Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL 6.9 Automatic

Body
Four-door long-wheelbase rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan
Engine
6.9-liter M100 fuel-injected V8 (250 hp U.S.)
Gearbox
3-speed automatic
Built
Regular production
Open exact version

The 1978 model year

Overview

The 1978 U.S. roster retained the 280 SE, 450 SEL, and 450 SEL 6.9. Mercedes-Benz restored much of the injected engines' earlier performance from April 1978 and launched the 300 SD turbodiesel in May; the North American diesel and Bosch-developed anti-lock braking system belong to the late-1978 chronology but appear in the site's U.S. model-year roster from 1979.

Specifications

Engines
  • 2.8-liter M110 fuel-injected inline-six
  • 4.5-liter M117 fuel-injected V8
  • 6.9-liter M100 fuel-injected V8 (250 hp U.S.)
Transmissions
4-speed automatic, 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

  • Injected W116 engines regained their earlier performance level through compression or emissions-system revisions documented from April 1978.
  • The 300 SD and production-car anti-lock braking milestones arrived during calendar 1978 without being backfilled into this exact U.S. model-year roster.

Worth knowing

Notable

  • Mercedes-Benz describes the W116 anti-lock system's autumn 1978 market introduction as a world-exclusive production-car milestone.

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 1978 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 1978 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
6
Factory intervals
4
Fitment-scoped
6
Exact references
2

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: 1978 · United States · The factory sheet applies its 1978 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: 12,500 mi / 20,000 km · At every regular maintenance service.

    Source: Mercedes-Benz of North America — 1978 passenger-car maintenance sheet · page 1 — 12,500-mile regular service includes engine-oil change and oil-filter service · checked

  • Additional maintenance work

    Sourced interval available

    Applies to: 1978 · United States · The factory sheet applies its 1978 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: 37,500 mi / 60,000 km · Additional work at the printed recurring mileage.

    Source: Mercedes-Benz of North America — 1978 passenger-car maintenance sheet · page 1 — additional maintenance work every 37,500 miles · checked

  • Brake fluid

    Sourced interval available

    Applies to: 1978 · United States · The factory sheet applies its 1978 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 — 1978 passenger-car maintenance sheet · page 1 — drain and renew brake fluid once a year · checked

  • Engine coolant / antifreeze

    Sourced interval available

    Applies to: 1978 · United States · The factory sheet applies its 1978 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: 24 months · Replace the coolant mixture every other year.

    Source: Mercedes-Benz of North America — 1978 passenger-car maintenance sheet · page 1 — replace coolant/antifreeze every other year · 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: 1978

    450 SEL — 4.5-liter M117 fuel-injected V8

    K&N E-2872

    Applies to: 1978 · 4.5-liter M117 fuel-injected V8 · 450 SEL · Exact 1978 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) · 1978 Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL V8 Gas — E-2872 · checked

    Verified ordering references

    450 SEL 6.9 — 6.9-liter M100 fuel-injected V8 (250 hp U.S.)

    K&N E-2872

    Applies to: 1978 · 6.9-liter M100 fuel-injected V8 (250 hp U.S.) · 450 SEL 6.9 · Exact 1978 450 SEL 6.9 engine application. Confirm VIN and build date before ordering.

    Source: K&N Engineering — 2017 European Automotive Catalog, S-Class application tables (archived copy) · 1978 Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL 6.9 V8 Gas — E-2872 · checked

    Verified ordering references

  • Engine oil filter

    Exact reference available

    Use the exact engine, VIN, and build date to confirm the catalogued service part before ordering.

    Applies to: 1978

    280 SE — 2.8-liter M110 fuel-injected inline-six

    MANN-FILTER H 929 x

    Applies to: 1978 · 2.8-liter M110 fuel-injected inline-six · 280 SE · Exact 1978 280 SE engine application. Confirm VIN and build date before ordering.

    Source: MANN-FILTER — H 929 x classic Mercedes-Benz application catalog · 280 SE (W116) — oil filter H 929 x — manufacturer application covers 08/1972–07/1980 · 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 →

Browse by tag

← All Mercedes-Benz S-Class years