2002 Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG

With just 71,000 miles on the odometer, which is barely run in by Mercedes/AMG standards, ‘SW02 OUP’ is a 2002 Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG that’s finished in a discreet shade of silver.

Unmodified and serviced within the M-B network, the seller, who is selling it on behalf of a friend of his, tells us that it “drove beautifully and with smooth power delivery” during the 200-mile journey from his mate’s house to his.

The build quality Mercedes used to be famous for is still evident too, so if you’re looking for a fast, stylish, and rare car that also makes all the right noises, Christmas has arrived six weeks early. 
 

The silver hue gives the CL55 AMG an understated elegance that other colours would struggle to pull off – and remember what we said about build quality?

Well, feast your eyes on the shutlines, all of which are good with the possible exception of the driver’s door, which sits a little proud along the lower trailing edge.

As for the details, the lamp lenses have no cracks and chips, the AMG tailpipes are free of rust, and the badges are still nice and shiny.

The five-spoke, 19-inch AMG alloy wheels do have a few nicks and scuffs around their rims and the centre caps have yellowed. The tyres are a mixed bunch of Goodyears on the front and Continental and Davanti on the rear, so perhaps it would make sense to get the wheels refurbished when you change the tyres?

As for the rest of its flaws, the offside front corner is scratched and scuffed and the nearside one looks like it suffered a similar fate before being touched-up.

The lower edge of the nearside door is rusty and has lost some lacquer, the nearside rear wheelarch has a rust bubble, and various panels show evidence of having been touched-up including the lower edge of the nearside front wing and both C-pillars.

Finally, the offside door mirror looks like the glass has been replaced at some point, and the nearside mirror casing is a bit scruffy.
 

The interior has fared better than the coachwork and presents well with nothing more than a light patina to the black leather.

The front seats are heated and ventilated in addition to being electrically adjustable, and the switch panel in the offside door card has three memory positions in addition to the controls for the electrically adjustable mirrors.

The two individual rear seats, which are in the same excellent condition as those in front of them, have powerfold headrests, which clears the driver’s view to the rear when they aren’t being used.

The shiny walnut veneer trim is generally shiny and free of chips, cracks, and peeling lacquer, and the sliding tambour door in the rear still works as it should.

The carpets we’ve seen look good too, as do the door cards.

The boot is nicely trimmed and clean. It also plays host to an almost complete tool kit inside the spare wheel, and the hazard warning triangle under the boot lid.

We are told that everything works as it should.

As for faults, some of the hard plastic has scratches on it, and this is most evident between the rear seats, the driver’s seat plinth, and the headlamp switch panel. The wood trim on the nearside door panel has also seen better days.
 

The stamped service history booklet records the following work:

•    14.05.2004 and 7,482 miles – service by Mercedes-Benz
•    02.01.2006 and 19,241 miles – service by Mercedes-Benz
•    unknown and 24,751 miles – service by Mercedes-Benz
•    01.07.2009 and 33,986 miles – service by Mercedes-Benz Leicester
•    23.06.2014 and 49,016 miles – service by Mercedes-Benz
•    24.08.2017 and 65,458 miles – service by Mercedes-Benz

We are told the 5.4-litre naturally aspirated V8 starts well thanks to a new battery; the old one was getting a bit weak, so the seller splashed out on a new one to ensure the car is in tip-top condition for its new owner.

As we mentioned earlier, he drove it 200 miles in one swoop and tells us it didn’t miss a beat AND returned 33mpg, which is astonishing frugality from a sportscar with this level of performance.

The engine bay itself is in good shape, but if you were to get it professionally valeted then few would accuse you of being overly fussy.

Still, a bit of grubbiness at least shows you it hasn’t been tarted up for sale; we’d much rather see an honest engine bay than one that’s had leaking oil and coolant flushed away in a high-power jet of water…

A warning light is illuminated for a brake light, but that’s the extent of the issue we’re aware of.

The Mercedes’ MoT is valid until January 2026, and it, like so many before, was issued with no advisories.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear bar a marker for not having road tax, and the stamped service history booklet is shown.
 

With a guide price of between £5,000 and £8,000 the CL55 AMG makes a great case for itself even before you realise it is being offered with no reserve, so will sell from the very first bid.

Yes, it needs some tidying up, new tyres, and a decent service but few cars are more reliable than Mercedes of this era – and few of us regret having had an AMG-fettled example in our lives.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor in Ringwood, Hampshire. To arrange an appointment to inspect this vehicle, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.