
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.
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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Open the 420SEL on DriveIndex →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.
| Year | Median sale | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $17,000 | 3 |
| 2022 | $14,750 | 3 |
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
| Sold | Price | Mileage | Gearbox |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 27, 2025 | $17,000 | 92,000 mi | Automatic |
| Dec 17, 2025 | $13,350 | 93,000 mi | Automatic |
| Nov 1, 2025 | $45,000 | 28,000 mi | Automatic |
| Sep 20, 2024 | $18,000 | 30,000 mi | Automatic |
| Jun 11, 2024 | $17,500 | 124,000 mi | Automatic |
| Oct 31, 2023 | $11,000 | 74,000 mi | Automatic |
| Nov 28, 2022 | $15,750 | 26,000 mi | Automatic |
| Apr 19, 2022 | $11,900 | 86,000 mi | Automatic |
| Feb 10, 2022 | $14,750 | 97,000 mi | Automatic |
| Feb 8, 2019 | $32,000 | 29,000 mi | Automatic |
Verified results from the world's leading collector-car auction houses and marketplaces.
All Mercedes-Benz 420SEL auction results →See the full picture on the 1988 Mercedes-Benz 420SEL
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Mercedes-Benz 420SEL by Year
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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