1990 Mercedes-Benz 560 SEL

An Arctic White Mercedes-Benz 560SEL (yes, this is one of eight cars we’re selling this week from the same collection), ‘G637 RRB’ has had just one previous UK keeper, a chap who owned a packaging company in Northampton.

Brilliantly, he went to the factory in Germany to collect his new car and drove back in convoy with his father, who had picked up his own SL at the same time. This journey is not only a wonderful addition to the 560’s history but also accounts for the metal numberplates you can see in the photos.

Life got a little bit easier for the 560 after that with the SEL accumulating just 787 miles between June 2007 and today. In total, it is still showing just under 125,000 miles on the clock, which means it’s about to enter the W126 equivalent of its teenage years. 

Completely unmodified in order to let that M-B engineering shine, the seller is so confident in the quality of his car he’s offering it for sale with no reserve, so it’ll sell from the very first bid and will fetch whatever the market decides it’s worth.

The engineering behind the W126 series is beyond reproach, so it’s no surprise to see this one still sports excellent panel alignment, consistent shutlines, and an overall air of well-being despite being well into its fourth decade.

Finished in a classic and timeless colour scheme of Arctic White (“it’s never had paint”) and light grey lower cladding, if you popped a private numberplate on it folk would assume it’s at least twenty years younger than it is.

While the chromework might not be extensive, it is exquisite, even now.  

The Bosch headlamps are in the same good condition as the rest of the lamp lenses, and they’re swept clean by their own wipers.

The sunroof fits the aperture perfectly and operates as it should, gliding open and closed at the touch of a button.

The 15-inch alloy wheels are in a good condition, but we can see the new owner might want to get them refurbished. They could also pop on a new set of tyres because the matching 216/65R15 Continental Super Contacts that are fitted are old and perished.

But, their presence is still a bonus because our experience is matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. 

As for flaws, one of the jacking point covers is missing and there is a small area of rust on the nearside front wheelarch.

The interior is a gloriously OTT combination of luxury materials, many of them an attractive burgundy colour. 

Leather covers the seats, centre console, and door cards, of course. With only slight creasing to the driver’s seat and minimal wear everywhere else, the seats look as firm and comfortable now as they ever were – and that’s worth something as plutocrats are notoriously fussy about what they plonk their buttocks on.

They’re obviously electrically adjustable and heated, and the seller tells us that they work as they should.

Burgundy carpets cover the floors and the underside of the dashboard. This too is in great shape and hides the passage of 34 years very well. Deep-pile lamb’s wool overmats add Rolls-Royce levels of decadence but then this was a car that could go toe to toe with anything from Crewe.

Which means there is lashings of walnut veneer trim too, plus a great deal of top-notch chrome and an electrically deployable blind in the rear window. Even the fire extinguisher is trimmed to match the rest of the cabin; clearly the W126 team didn’t get the minimalism memo.

The decadence continues in the rear with vast legroom, a reclining and heated rear bench seat, more lambs’ wool overmats, and a pair of footrests.

As for the sound system, the seller tells us it set the owner back £6,000 in around 1992/93, or more than twice that in today’s money. 

Mind you, the bill did include a Blue Spot Travelpilot sat-nav system in addition to a Blaupunkt Berlin headunit that acts as the controller and interface for the boot-mounted Berlin digital amplifier and CD multichanger from the same firm. 

There’s a built-in carphone between the front seats too. Sadly, none of this works anymore but it is a real talking point as well as an interesting insight into what was available so long ago if you had enough money.

There are more clues as to the care with which the Mercedes has been curated in the letters on the switches and controls, which is still bright and vivid. 

Just one example of the sort of thoughtful touches that suffuse the W126 experience is the warning triangle that’s displayed on the underside of the boot lid, there to warn motorists coming up behind you that there was a problem even before you’ve properly deployed it on the road behind you.

The vast boot – and it is vast - also contains the factory jack, a full-size spare wheel, and the tool kit in addition to an umbrella that’s still in its cellophane wrapper.

Of course, the boot is also clean and beautifully trimmed.

As for flaws, the headlining is a little grubby. That’s it. 

We are told the service and maintenance record is recorded as follows:

7,688 miles - service by Mercedes Loughborough, 

13,713 miles - service by Mercedes Loughborough, 

18.970 miles - service by an independent specialist, 

24,026 miles - service by an independent specialist, 

29.964 miles - service by an independent specialist,

39,566 miles - service by an independent specialist,

59,045 miles - service by Mercedes Loughborough, 

77,101 miles - service by Mercedes Loughborough, 

86,209 miles - service by an independent specialist,

94,195 miles – service by Mercedes Loughborough, 

103,614 miles – service by Mercedes Loughborough, 

124,184 miles - service by an independent specialist,   

We are told that recent work includes a new distributor cap and rotor arm, rear suspension spheres and springs, and an alternator voltage meter. As a result, it “starts on the button”.

The engine bay is neatly organized but grubby, which, if you enjoy detailing and cleaning, is the perfect combination, surely?

We don’t have photos of the underside but no MoT tester has ever raised the thorny issue of rot and structural corrosion. And what we do see is decent underseal and great sills, which further bolsters our confidence in the vehicle. 

The SEL’s MoT certificate is valid until September 2024. Even better, the online MoT history stretches back to 2007 and only two of the eight tests on record resulted in an advisory being issued – everything else was completely clear. That’s quite something, isn’t it?

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear bar the markers for being an imported car and the Mercedes comes with a current V5 registration document, two keys, and a book pack and wallet that includes the service history booklet.

Still widely thought to be one of the best cars ever built, the W126 S-Class is a study in understated over-engineering and effortless style - and the 560SEL brings more power to the party than any sane driver could ever deploy on public roads.

Harking back to a time when luxury was engineered in rather than bolted on, the 560SEL is the period equivalent of the Maybach, which made it the vehicle of choice for diplomats, potentates, and world leaders throughout the eighties and early nineties.

And cars from that period are, for many of us, the sweet spot of the classic car world, combining safety and power and handling in a mesmerizing package that offers a nigh-on modern car driving experience allied with the classic car looks we all admired as teenagers. 

Even better, the seller has such faith in his car that he’s offering it with no reserve and a modest estimate of between £8,000 and £12,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located with the vendor in Bradford, West Yorkshire. Viewings are strictly by appointment.  To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.