How many Mercedes-Benz 420SEL are left in New Zealand?
Super rare 1 in 584,359 on the road Built 1986-1989 Sold new in New Zealand
Updated from the NZTA Motor Vehicle Register, counted as at 31 August 2026. Recounted every month.
A long-wheelbase W126 S-Class with the 4.2-litre V8 that arrived with the range's mid-1980s update. It sat between the six-cylinder cars and the 500 and 560, with the extra rear legroom of the SEL body. The W126 it belongs to was built for twelve years and outsold every S-Class before it.
Still on the road, by model year
The most are from 1988: 4 still registered. Every year is listed under the chart.
Every model year
| Model year | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 1986 | 2 |
| 1988 | 4 |
| 1989 | 2 |
What Super rare means
Spotto grades every car by how many are still registered in New Zealand. With 8 still registered, the Mercedes-Benz 420SEL is Super rare: the grade for cars with 5 to 24 left.
By how many are left it ranks equal 87th of the 102 Mercedes-Benz models and equal 2,076th of all 2,903 cars in Spotto's catalogue.
The six grades: Common, 8,000 or more · Uncommon, 1,200 to 7,999 · Scarce, 175 to 1,199 · Rare, 25 to 174 · Super rare, 5 to 24 · Unicorn, fewer than 5.
Seen one?
Spotto grades every car on New Zealand roads by how many are still registered, down to the generation and the badge. Log the ones you spot, build a collection, and see who else has found one.