2003 Mercedes-Benz CLK 55 AMG

This example of the low volume CLK 55 AMG breed was first registered in September 2003. A UK specified and supplied car it has covered just 69,320 miles to date, or a very sensible 3,150 miles a year on average. With eight previous keepers, our vendor acquired the CLK at a Bonhams Cars Online auction in July 2023. Since that time he has added around 5,000 miles and spent upwards of £4,500 keeping the CLK up to standard and attending to the inevitable niggles that arise.

In addition to this, the previous owner seemed equally diligent in his stewardship of the CLK. This work included attention to the hood mechanism, refurbishment of the hood fabric, suspension maintenance, a transmission service, a new wheel speed sensor and Bosch battery. Given this care and attention this 340bhp V8 Mercedes-Benz convertible still offers its original stunning combination of sublime comfort and refinement as well as eye-widening performance with a soundtrack to match. A rare and desirable melange at an eminently attainable price point.

There is no doubting that the A209 CLK is a great looking car. It walks a successful line between sophistication and sportiness. The external AMG treatment is wrought fairly lightly on the CLK but there is more than enough here to set this iteration apart from its less exalted brethren. The aerodynamic addenda are different from standard with front and rear spoilers, a boot lid mounted lip and side skirts all fitted and finished in body colour.

That body colour is the very popular Brilliant Silver Metallic livery which contrasts perfectly with the black fabric hood. The hood is a three layered, electrically operated article which can be operated from inside the car at speeds up to 5 mph or from the key fob. The hood was originally configured to fully retract or extend in 20 seconds.

A great looking set of 18-inch, double five spoked AMG wheels are fitted however there are some signs of kerbing and bubbling in places. These are complete with AMG embossed details and there is sufficient space between the spokes for AMG inscribed callipers and those uprated vented discs to be seen. A staggered set of Continental tyres are fitted with 225/40’s at the front and 255/35’s at the rear. As can be seen from our photographs, the fronts are past their best and will imminently need replacing. The rears are date stamped from 2023 and seem to have ample tread remaining.

As for flaws there is a noticeable black scratch to the drivers side wing mirror, a touch up to the passenger side mirror cap, light scuff marks to the front N/S bumper below the headlights, some chips and touch ups to the front end, lower areas and edges of both doors. There is also a noticeable localised paint repair just above the passenger door handle and the front O/S wing has some light scratching to it most noticeable under an inspection light.

Mercedes-Benz at this time were masters of the quality coupe cabin with the best quality fixtures and fittings being applied with the accuracy and precision of a watchmaker. That attention to detail is noted here as soon as you step over the brushed alloy, AMG inscribed sill kick plates. The cabin is finished predominantly in black with accents of brushed alloy trim pieces to the centre console, door panels and instrument binnacle.

The seats are trimmed in supple black leather with perforated centre panels and a smooth finish to the bolsters. The seat backs feature metal AMG emblems, and a minimal amount of use related patina appears to be present. The front seats are electrically heated, adjusted and the driver’s side benefits from a three stage memory feature. The individual rear seats are identically trimmed and present very well indeed. They even offer the prospect of genuine four person travel should the mood take you.

A multi-function steering wheel includes soft touch gear change sensor buttons and sits ahead of a three clear black on white VDO gauges. The tachometer features AMG branding and the large speedometer offers a raft of selectable metrics via a centrally placed digital read out. Our operations team notes that the central satellite navigation screen appears to not be working currently. They also noted an initial clicking from behind the dashboard on start up which stops after a short period of running.

The hood is trimmed with a light hued, perforated headlining which appears clean, fresh looking and free from rips or tears. The boot is a useful size with some modest concealed storage beneath its removable floor.

Interior and exterior niceties apart, it was the mechanicals of the CLK 55 where AMG’s oeuvre was most significantly wrought. As we have heard, the 5.4L M113 E55 V8 unit was comprehensively made over by a single AMG technician under their “one man one engine” philosophy. As in this case, the Master Engine Builder in question would affix an engraved plaque bearing their signature to each completed unit. The propulsion provided by the hand built V8 in the CLK translated into a 5.2 second 0-60mph time and the ability to easily bounce off the 155mph electronic limiter on the autobahn.

Lifting the bonnet reveals this to be a good looking unit, too. Although mostly shrouded, the cover in question looks like it once formed the torso section of Iron Man’s exoskeleton. It looks clean, straight and admirably original under here. Even the original under bonnet insulation is present and complete. An item that is so often an early casualty of age and use.

The underside is predominantly protected with plastic covers aiding both aerodynamic efficiency and longevity. What can be seen of the structure looks to be commensurate with the CLK’s age and mileage. Our operations team did note a knocking from the front suspension on occasion. Other visible cavities within the structure, such as the well containing the stowed hood, look to be in fine order with no obvious areas of concern noted.

This CLK 55 comes complete with a nicely rounded archive of paperwork which should offer much reassurance to the new owner. The V5 registration document is present in the name of the current owner. This is accompanied by the current MoT in hard copy, showing validity until May 2025. Numerous earlier hard copy MoTs are present seeming to validate the car’s sensible and linear mileage progression.

The original Mercedes-Benz book pack is present which includes an instructive service booklet. Not only is the original build docket still present within but so are 9 service stamps from both dealers and independent specialists. These cover mileages from 7,593 to 65,314. The remainder of the archive mostly consists of the invoices that provide the cost and other details behind these stamps. These help corroborate a generous level of spend in the last two ownerships and beyond.

If you were in the market for a mid-sized, naturally aspirated V8, four seater convertible with a five-ish second 0-60mph time back in the early 2000’s, your choices were very limited. Without hours of research to support this, we are tempted to suggest that just the CLK 55 AMG would neatly fit the bill. Whatever the reality, it represented quite a remarkable combination of desirable attributes. Style, sophistication, quality…….oh…..and did we mention the growly, naturally aspirated V8? The fact that such a unicorn model is available today at such a potentially modest price makes the CLK 55 AMG an even more enticing prospect in 2025.

This is a cracking example of what is actually a surprisingly rare breed. Its sensible, seemingly original recorded mileage and attentive maintenance schedule should further underscore the reputation of what is known to be a robust and helpfully over engineered mechanical specification. This combined with such an impressive breadth of capabilities makes the CLK 55 AMG one of those rare modern classics that could well be all the car you ever need.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £7,000 - £12,000.

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