1992 Mercedes-Benz 400SE Sedan

1992 Mercedes-Benz 400SE Sedan

In a twist of luck, MotoeXotica Classic Cars has acquired the car leased then owned by Ernest Evans, aka Chubby Checker, a 1992 Mercedes-Benz 400SE Sedan. This example was made in October 1991 in Stuttgart, Germany and was in Mr. Chubby Checkers ownership for 23 years (1992-2015).

The singer responsible for singing “The Twist,” “Let’s Twist Again” and backup vocals on The Fat Boys’ cover of “The Twist” and many more songs, Checker leased this Benz for three years, beginning June 1, 1992. After the lease ended, on May 20, 1995, he owned the car for 20 more years, trading it in for a new Mercedes at the same dealership that maintained this car.

Finished in Black Pearl Metallic (code DB-199) over gray on the outside, the paint and trim are in near-excellent condition. The windows are clear and crack-free and in overall very good order. Interestingly, the rear window has no rear defroster grid. The car’s lights are intact and crack-free and even sport washers and wiper blades. This Benz rolls on Michelin Primacy MXV4 radials, size 235/60R16 at all four corners, surrounding factory wheel covers. Both wheels and tires appear in good order. All of this Benz’s body panels are straight and solid. The engine bay is very tidy and the bumpers fit tight and look great.

Under the hood with the three-pointed star ornament is a 4.2L, 32-valve V-8 engine (M119) mated to a 4G-Tronic four-speed transmission. The M119 engine differed from the M117 motor in the following ways:

The Mercedes-Benz 4G-Tronic transmission was a hydraulically operated non-lockup four-speed automatic and was calibrated to take off in second gear to reduce “creeping” and provide a smoother ride. The transmission will select 1st gear only if the selector is in “2” or in case of abrupt acceleration. Other attributes of this transmission include a 2-3 shift delay when the engine is cold in order to speed up catalyst warm-up. Fourth gear is a 1:1 ratio, meaning that cruising at about 62 mph generates engine speeds around 3000 rpm.

Inside, the gray leather front bucket seats are in near-excellent shape. The matching gray carpet is in very good order, as is the complementing headliner. The two-tone gray instrument panel, with its burled wood accents, looks fantastic and the factory, four-spoke steering wheel with its thick rim looks new. The inner door panels, mirror glass, center console and shift lever are all in very good shape. Even the rear seat passengers have their own air vents, however, the speedometer and odometer are inoperable and the factory radio is locked.

The Mercedes-Benz W140 was a series of flagship vehicles that were manufactured by the German automotive company Mercedes-Benz. On November 16, 1990, Mercedes-Benz unveiled the W140 S-Class via press release, later appearing in several February and March editions of magazines. The W140 made its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1991, with the first examples rolling off the production line in April 1991 and North American examples on August 6, 1991.

The W140 introduced innovations such as double-pane window glazing, power-assisted closing for doors and trunk lid, electric windows which lowered back down upon encountering an obstruction, rear-parking markers which rose from the rear wings (discontinued on later vehicles, and replaced with sonar-assisted parking) and a heating system which, if desired, continued to emit warm air after the engine was turned off. For details like this, the W140 is often known as the last Mercedes to be “over-engineered.”

The W140 used a rear hydropneumatic suspension, first introduced on the W116 450 SEL 6.9 (introduced in 1975) to be used on the S 500 and S 600 models.

Documentation includes copy of clean Carfax report, original owner’s manual, car care guide, maintenance book, airbag guide, dealer directory, theft-deterrent radio instruction book, original lease agreement and title issued to Chubby in 1995, after the lease ended. There are also copies of Checker’s music memorabilia, including a box of his 45 records.

Competition to this Mercedes-Benz in 1992 included Acura’s Legend, Audi’s Quattro 4.2 V-8, BMW’s 750iL, Bentley’s Turbo R, Infiniti’s Q45, Jaguar’s Sovereign and Lexus’ LS400.

The late Dick Clark once said, “The three most important things that ever happened in the music industry are Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Chubby Checker.”

This car is currently located at our facility in St. Louis, Missouri. Current mileage on the odometer shows 197,600 miles. It is sold as is, where is, on a clean and clear, mileage exempt title. GET OUT AND DRIVE!!!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW OUR YOUTUBE VIDEO!

VIN: WDBGA42E9NA034952 EIN: 119971 12 003890 TIN: 722366 03 629915

Note: Please see full terms and conditions listed below that pertain to the purchase of any said vehicle, thank you.