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1988 Mercedes-Benz 420SEL: market value and price history

1988 Mercedes-Benz 420SEL Market Value & Price History

The 1988 Mercedes-Benz 420SEL has a current market value of $18,016 as of Sep 20, 2026, based on 10 verified auction sales tracked by DriveIndex, with half of all verified sales between $13,350 and $18,000. 3 have sold in the past 12 months. The median sale price is down 2.9% over the past 12 months versus one to three years ago.

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Market Value
$18,016
as of Sep 20, 2026
Median Sale
$16,375
Typical Range
$13,350$18,000
middle half of sales · full $11,000$45,000
Auction Sales
10
Avg Mileage
67,900
Original MSRP
$57,700

Data: DriveIndex. 10 verified auction sales for the 1988 Mercedes-Benz 420SEL, latest sale Dec 27, 2025. Value as of Sep 20, 2026. Methodology

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1988 Mercedes-Benz 420SEL Price History

The median 1988 Mercedes-Benz 420SEL sold for $17,000 in 2025, against $14,750 in 2022. Each row is the median of the verified sales recorded in that calendar year, so it moves with the mix of mileages and options that came to market as well as with the market itself.

YearMedian saleSales
2025$17,0003
2022$14,7503

Years with fewer than three verified USD sales are omitted — a one-sale “median” is a single car, not a market.

Recent 1988 Mercedes-Benz 420SEL Auction Results

SoldPriceMileageGearbox
Dec 27, 2025$17,00092,000 miAutomatic
Dec 17, 2025$13,35093,000 miAutomatic
Nov 1, 2025$45,00028,000 miAutomatic
Sep 20, 2024$18,00030,000 miAutomatic
Jun 11, 2024$17,500124,000 miAutomatic
Oct 31, 2023$11,00074,000 miAutomatic
Nov 28, 2022$15,75026,000 miAutomatic
Apr 19, 2022$11,90086,000 miAutomatic
Feb 10, 2022$14,75097,000 miAutomatic
Feb 8, 2019$32,00029,000 miAutomatic

Verified results from the world's leading collector-car auction houses and marketplaces.

All Mercedes-Benz 420SEL auction results →

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Mercedes-Benz 420SEL by Year

All 420SEL199119901989198819871986

1988 Mercedes-Benz 420SEL: Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a 1988 Mercedes-Benz 420SEL worth?

A 1988 Mercedes-Benz 420SEL is worth approximately $18,016 as of Sep 20, 2026, based on 10 verified auction sales tracked by DriveIndex. Half of all verified sales fall between $13,350 and $18,000; the full verified range is $11,000 to $45,000. Condition, mileage and options move an individual car within that band.

How much did a 1988 Mercedes-Benz 420SEL cost new?

The 1988 Mercedes-Benz 420SEL carried an original MSRP of $57,700. Verified examples now trade around $18,016.

How many 1988 Mercedes-Benz 420SEL sell per year?

3 have sold at auction in the past 12 months. DriveIndex has tracked 10 1988 Mercedes-Benz 420SEL sales in total.

Is the 1988 Mercedes-Benz 420SEL going up or down in value?

The median 1988 Mercedes-Benz 420SEL sale price is down 2.9% over the past 12 months versus one to three years ago, based on verified auction sales. That figure tracks the median of what actually sold, so it moves with the mix of mileages and options that came to market as well as with the market itself. For the full Value Signal classification (appreciating, stable, bottomed, or depreciating) and its 1–5 year projection, open the 1988 Mercedes-Benz 420SEL on DriveIndex.

Where can I buy a 1988 Mercedes-Benz 420SEL?

DriveIndex tracks for-sale listings and auction results for the 1988 Mercedes-Benz 420SEL from the world's leading collector-car auction houses and marketplaces.

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