1999 Mercedes-Benz CLK 320 Elegance

On sale with us is a 1999 CLK Convertible, superbly specced by its original owner in Irish Green with a matching roof. Not only that, but it has also led the most gentle of lives, having covered less than 20,000 miles.

The car’s first keeper owned a Mercedes-Benz dealership in Dublin but was lucky enough to have a holiday home on the pretty island of Guernsey. The car was his Channel Islands holiday car for around eleven years and when he finally parted with it, the mileometer read a mere 8,700 miles.

The car was loaded with desirable extras when new and a look through the extensive option codes tells us that what was added. The colour-coordinated roof was one, but there were many others including a rain sensor for the wipers, climate-controlled air conditioning and electric front seats with heating and adjustable bolsters. The original invoice shows a purchase price of £32,800.

The CLK’s second owner purchased the car in 2010 from Hampshire Classics in Winchester for the princely sum of £8,500. The car continued to be used on high days and holidays, with miles covered modest.

Our seller, a good friend of owner number two, purchased the car on 1st August as a summer plaything. He has used the car for an extended holiday trip, but being a serial Jaguar owner, he has decided that Stuttgart’s finest is not for him. His loss may therefore be your gain as we defy you to find as CLK Convertible as good as this.

This is a car which has led a pampered life, being stored correctly one would assume when not in use. As a result, the attractive green paintwork defies the years and scrubs up rather well. We can find little to criticise bar the odd stone chip and some scratches on the rear bumper.

The fabric roof has perhaps faded a tad with the passing years, but other than some creases from being folded, it still looks very smart and opens and closes as it should.

Four new Pirelli P7 tyres were fitted around two years ago and still have most of their tread left.

The original fit wheels are in need of refurbishment as they do let the side down a tad. There are plenty of specialists who can complete this work for a modest sum.

Hood up or down, the CLK 320 is a good-looking car and on days when the sun is too hot, lowering all the side windows creates that lovely pillarless coupe look and allows plenty of air into the car.

The CLK’s interior is a vision of creamy loveliness, with swathes of leather covering the seats. The front pews can be adjusted electrically and are heated for those cooler days. An unusual option fitted is a system which allows for the inflation of the bolsters, for that perfect comfy driving position.

In keeping with the car’s gentle life, the leather is virtually unmarked, with just a little creasing to the driver’s seat. Carpets too are in excellent condition.

Another desirable option is the factory wind deflector which when fitted, blocks out the back draft which afflicts convertibles and is most noticeable at speed. It helps turn the CLK into a convertible for all seasons, not just a fine summer’s day.

Climate controlled air conditioning is fitted, though our seller hasn’t tested the unit’s cooling ability during his brief ownership.

The boot is a reasonable size, ideal for a touring holiday perhaps. Under the floor lies the spare wheel, tool kit and battery.

The engine bay is in super order which will come as no surprise. It presents as only a low mileage car can, and there is nothing untoward that we can see. The motor itself is a powerful, yet smooth unit which perfectly suits the refined and luxurious nature of the CLK. It is most definitely the engine to have.

It pairs well with the automatic gearbox, something that Mercedes-Benz have always excelled in making. There are winter and sports setting to suit the prevailing driving conditions or the driver’s mood.

We always include a selection of pictures of a car’s undersides and that is the case here. A dozen images await your viewing pleasure.

We do note some surface corrosion in places, and we would be inclined to get the car up on some ramps and deal with this straight away. It should be an easy enough task and as we always like to point out, prevention is better than cure.

In amongst the paperwork for the CLK, you will find a raft of invoices from Guernsey’s main Mercedes-Benz dealership. Regular servicing and maintenance were carried out, even though miles covered on the compact island were modest.

From there on in, servicing was done on a more ad hoc basis, but there are further invoices detailing what has been done over the past decade. We note a new starter motor was fitted in 2017.

On 7th September an advisory free MoT certificate was obtained and looking at the online history, we cannot see anything of concern.

To find an early build, unmolested CLK Convertible is rare indeed, but one that has clearly led a gentle life and covered so few miles is exceptional.

Although some 23 years old, the shape has aged well, and the car is still capable of cutting a dash. Not only that, but the CLK feels modern to drive with a powerful V6 engine and a smooth automatic gearbox.

This is a car more than capable of being pressed into daily use, but we suspect it will continue to be used as a car for special occasions, be it a run out in the country on a warm summer’s day, or perhaps a continental jaunt. Whatever the task, the CLK will deliver.

We confidently expect a great deal of interest in this car from Mercedes aficionados, keen to add to their collection of fine cars. And for them or you to do so, we expect a sale price of between £7,000 and £10,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor in Kinross, Scotland to arrange an appointment 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, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.