1986 Mercedes-Benz 420SEL W126

We are pleased to be offering for sale a W126 420SEL and one which has had a fascinating history with celebratory connections.

The car was delivered in June 1986 by Sunningdale Ascot to a member of the Al Maktoum family. For those unacquainted, the House of Maktoum is the ruling royal family of the Emirate of Dubai and one of the six ruling families of the United Arab Emirates.

It was regularly serviced by Bradshaw-Welsh in Chelsea regularly until 1993 when we believe it changed hands. The car then came to be in the hands of a new owner who ran a chauffeur service, the 420SEL being ideally suited for the purpose.

Actress Julie Andrews was regularly ferried around in it over an eight-year period, when visiting London. She has been described as one of the last surviving actresses from the Golden Age of Hollywood. The car was kept exclusively for her use.

In the year 2000, Ms Andrews was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. She was to be presented with the award by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace, the 420SEL being her mode of transport from the Dorchester Hotel. Not only are there pictures of Ms Andrews being driven away from the palace in the car, but she also shared her special day with another doyen of the movie industry, none other than Elizabeth Taylor. She too was there to be made a Dame.

Our seller bought the 420SEL in February 2018 and then registered the car in his native Ireland. He has enjoyed the car these past five years and reports that it drives well, cruises at 125kph and is perfect for long distance cruising.

Nautical Blue is the rather splendid colour adorning the Mercedes, a hue that suits it well, being so very smart yet understated. Considering the car is some 37 years old, we think it scrubs up rather well.

You will spot some small stone chips here and there, from a life lived in the fast lane, and the chrome bumpers do have some pitting in areas. We also have spotted a small paint bubble on the nearside rear wing (pic 131) which will want some early attention perhaps, as well another on the driver’s door (pic 105). The casing on the driver’s side door mirror is a little marked too.

The alloy wheels look to be in fine condition, having been refurbished in 2012, and each is fitted with a Kumho Solus tyre. These are now over six years old, so depending on how pernickety you are, they may want replacing in the near future. They still have plenty of tread. The car is also fitted with remote central locking.

Mercedes-Benz not only builds their cars to last, but they make some of the finest interiors too. Anyone stepping aboard this S Class cannot fail to be impressed by the level of luxury on offer. Some may say that leather upholstery is missing, but the sumptuous velour more than makes up for it. And besides, leather is cold in winter, sticky in summer and doesn’t hold you in place when getting a shift on.

The seats are still so comfy, and the space for rear seat passengers in this SEL variant impressive. When new, electric operation for the front seats was added along with a central armrest, whilst footrests were added in the rear for improved comfort.

We have noticed a tear on the side of the driver’s seat (pic 167), but a good upholsterer should be able to rectify this quite easily.

For those warmer days, an electric sunroof is fitted along with air conditioning. We are told the latter is in need of a regas.

We note that there is a split in the dashboard top on the passenger side (pic 162) and the door top (pic 224). There is also a small area of corrosion on one of the doors (pic 190).

The boot is suitably commodious and beneath the floor lies the spare wheel, clad with a Pirelli tyre.

Although a large car, the 420SEL is an easy car to drive. Slip the gear lever into drive, release the parking brake and go. Performance is brisk to say the least, all the while accompanied by the cultured tones of that marvellous V8.

A raft of pictures of the SEL’s underside are available for your viewing pleasure in our gallery. There is some surface corrosion to some of the components and parts of the exhaust system looks as though it has seen better days. Our seller reports a slight blow.

The structure itself looks sound, so with a little time and effort, and perhaps the application of some underseal in places, all should be fine for many years to come.

Lift the bonnet and that 221bhp powerhouse of a V8 engine hoves into view. The under-bonnet insulation has recently been renewed.

Elsewhere there are signs of careful maintenance, but the fastidious might want to spend some time and effort cleaning up the engine bay itself. It looks a tad tired in places.

The original service book is present and correct, something we always like to see. There are plenty of lovely stamps from the car’s early years showing correct maintenance and care.

Paperwork includes some invoices from around 2011to 2014 and there are some old MoT certificates which help to corroborate the car’s mileage.

The car passed its Irish equivalent of the MoT (the National Car Test or NCT) in August last year with advisories for the tyres being more than six years old.

In August 2019 our seller had a raft of jobs carried out. Work done included:

• Major service
• Automatic gearbox service
• New under bonnet insulation
• New oil, air, and fuel filters
• New power steering filter
• New wiper blade

Subsequently, a new driver regulator has been fitted. The fuel pipe has been replaced and the pump area cleaned. New brake pads have been installed too.

The W126 SEL still has the ability to impress even after all these years. It’s a timeless and elegant design.

Its raison d’etre, or ‘grund’ as a German speaker would say, was to transport passengers over vast distances in supreme luxury. This lovely car still possesses that ability.

And let’s not forget this car’s association with true celebrity. How lovely to think Dame Julie Andrews was a regular passenger over so many years, maybe with friends in tow. And a trip to Buckingham Palace to see the Queen and share the limelight with fellow Dame, Elizabeth Taylor. Unbeatable!

What further adventures will this marvellous Mercedes have? Well, that will be up to its lucky new owner, and it could be you. We expect this car to generate plenty of interest, so we suggest placing a bid without delay.

If you would like to view, something which we always encourage, the car is located with the vendor in Dublin, Ireland. To arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing.

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