How many Mercedes-Benz 450s are left in New Zealand?
Rare 1 in 66,784 on the road Built 1972-2020 Sold new in New Zealand
Updated from the NZTA Motor Vehicle Register, counted as at 31 August 2026. Recounted every month.
In the 1970s the 450 was the big-engined Mercedes: a 4.5-litre V8 fitted to the first cars officially called S-Class and to the SL roadster and SLC coupe. The 450SE was voted European Car of the Year for 1974. Decades later the number came back on S-Class and SUV models, no longer tied to engine size.
Still on the road, by model year
The most are from 1974: 13 still registered. Every year is listed under the chart.
Every model year
| Model year | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 1972 | 1 |
| 1973 | 4 |
| 1974 | 13 |
| 1975 | 6 |
| 1976 | 11 |
| 1977 | 8 |
| 1978 | 8 |
| 1979 | 8 |
| 1980 | 5 |
| 1982 | 1 |
| 1983 | 1 |
| 1986 | 1 |
| 1993 | 1 |
| 2020 | 2 |
By badge
The versions the register records, most numerous first.
| Which one | Built | Left | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 450 SL | 12 | Rare | |
| 450 SLC | 10 | Rare | |
| 450 SEL | 5 | Rare |
What Rare means
Spotto grades every car by how many are still registered in New Zealand. With 70 still registered, the Mercedes-Benz 450 is Rare: the grade for cars with 25 to 174 left.
By how many are left it ranks 51st of the 102 Mercedes-Benz models and equal 1,177th 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.