In 1979, driving a one-year-old Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL 6.9 in the Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash was like hiding and cheating in plain sight.
While entries more cleverly disguised to throw off the police fell by the wayside – Brock Yates’ and Hal Needham’s famous 440-powered “Trans Con Medivac” Dodge ambulance for instance – one of M-B’s sleepy looking super sedans cruised to a second place finish, making the trip from Darien, Connecticut to Redondo Beach, California in 32 hours and 59 minutes.
That very car (according to the seller’s description) is now up for grabs on Hemmings.com with 42,000 miles on the clock and restored to original condition. Perhaps even ready to take on another cross-country adventure.
Incidentally, the 1979 running of the Cannonball has special significance for all of us here, as that’s the year that former Hemmings Publisher Terry Ehrich, Editor David Brownell and Justus Taylor competed with Hemmings’ 36 Ford delivery truck.
The story that appeared in Special Interest Autos about the 1979 race is posted on our blog, while the Ford sits patiently out in Hemmings’ vehicle display, waiting its next opportunity to stretch its legs.
From the seller’s description:
This 6.9 liter 1978 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 4 door sedan competed in the 1979 Cannonball Run Sea to Shining Sea race and placed 2nd. Dick Fields was the driver and the original owner. Fully restored to its original condition.
Find more Mercedes-Benz for sale on Hemmings.com.
from Hemmings Daily – News for the collector car enthusiast http://ift.tt/1nLPn3S
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