2003 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG

Still only showing 38,000 miles on the clock, it has been in the care of the vendor, a serial classic car collector and Mercedes enthusiast, for the past eighteen months. With a superb history, he tells us that it drives “like new”, and is only for sale – along with his Mercedes-Benz SL500, which is also up for auction with us – to help fund a house purchase.

He looked long and hard before finding this one, and what a beauty it is; with just one previous family owner, the vendor says he can name each and every stonechip, not, we hasten to add because his mates call him Mr. Memory, but because there are so few.

He tells us that his wife thinks it still smells like new inside, and went on to say “I can't think of anything else remotely sub-par with it.”

Being offered with no known faults, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to buy an ultra-low mileage E55 AMG with an impeccable service history and just two careful (some might say just the tiniest bit obsessive…) previous owners.

Well, this is going to be the most boring section you’re ever going to read because the bodywork is nigh-on perfect. As we mentioned earlier, there are so few stonechips that the owner’s given ‘em names (we’ve found a couple), and a small scratch on the rear bumper that he is certain will buff out.

That’s it.

So, the body alignment is perfect, the doors fit beautifully and open and close with the sort of precision ‘thunk’ that Mercedes-Benz wished the accountants would still let them engineer in, the flanks are straight and free of ripples and dings, and the car gleams with the sort of finish that you only get on premium cars that’ve been treasured and garaged all their life.

The five-spoke (or are they ten?) 18-inch alloy wheels are free of any marks whatsoever, much less kerbing scrapes, and they’re shod, of course, with matching Continental SportContact 3 tyres on all five wheels.

As we will never tyre of explaining, our experience shows that 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. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but do give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

Problems? Well, you’ll want to bung your chap £20 to buff out the scratch on the rear bumper but other than that there’s simply nothing to do other than admire its neat, conservative lines.

We’re afraid it’s the same story inside; it’s all perfect, still smells like new, and everything works. Hugely boring to read, but very reassuring if it’s your hard-earned money you’re thinking of bidding with.

So, the ventilated black leather seats are in great shape and still as firm as a PCSO’s warning to a pensioner sitting on a park bench, and as supportive as Dear Deidre in a crisis. Only showing the very gentlest of creases, they’re electrically adjustable, heated and cooled, and even have a massage function. Classic car motoring has never been so comfortable.

The headlining is clean and taut, the door cards still look like new, and the wooden veneer is unblemished. And while the interior might look more austere than northern Britain under a Tory government, there are plenty of toys hidden underneath the discreet finish and, as you’d expect given the care with which this car has been used and maintained, everything works.

Other nice features include Harman/Kardon speakers, AMG-branded overmats, and an indestructible Nokia phone in the centre armrest. You know, the one that was last plugged in when the car was still under warranty and is still showing the battery as 90% charged.

The boot is very clean (“I’d feel guilty if I put the dog in there”) and is home to the matching AMG alloy wheel and Continental SportContact 3 tyre, toolkit, DVD-based sat-nav, and warning triangle.

The owner had new brake pads fitted to it shortly after he bought it, but this, along with two new matching tyres on the rear axle, are all that’s been required. While the E55 AMG is very tuneable it’s still untouched at the moment. You can coax ludicrous amounts of power for only a modest outlay, but for now it’s still stock. Which should reassure you.

As you can see from the video, the E55 starts promptly and ticks over well. It revs as beautifully as you’d expect of a car with its pedigree, and while the noise from the hand-crafted engine might be a little muted, the exhaust note is everything you’d hope it to be!

The engine bay is a bit grubby but it’s nothing that an hour or so wouldn’t remedy. The underside is solid and in need of nothing; it even still sports the original AMG quad exhaust.

It really is an absolute gem and is going to make its new owner very happy indeed.

The V5 registration document might show two previous owners but the reality is that there was only one; the car’s first owner was a retired chap who part-exchanged his AMG C43 estate in for the E55 AMG with Mercedes York.

A discerning man, he rarely used the E55 as he generally preferred to use his Bentley, and his wife had her own car. Nonetheless, the E55 was serviced every year, even though it had sometimes only covered a few hundred miles between services.

The service schedule is:

16.08.05 at 7,458 miles

07.11.06 at 12,777 miles

30.10.07 at 17,348 miles

04.11.08 at 22,092 miles

16.11.09 at 22,833 miles

23.11.10 at 25,483 miles

02.11.11 at 26,939 miles

30.11.12 at 28,784 miles

12.11.13 at 30,683 miles

05.11.14 at 32,235 miles

28.10.15 at (not recorded)

31.10.16 at 33,938 miles

22.11.17 at 34,958 miles

12.11.18 at 35,320 miles

The E55 wore his cherished number plate of JW11 all its life, and when he passed away the car was transferred into his wife's name as part of the probate process. She didn’t drive it and sold it to the vendor shortly thereafter.

All were Mercedes-Benz main dealers up to 2015, and Prestige, an independent marque specialist, thereafter. The service history booklet is supplied with the vehicle.

The E55’s MOT certificate expires in November 2020, and was gained without an advisory once the owner had popped a set of tyres on it.

Nor does the online MOT history show anything of any concern, having thrown up only tyres, front brake discs and discoloured indicator lenses over the years. It also confirms the car’s low mileage.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to an impeccable standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

NB. We know that many of you will be limiting your social exposure over the coming days and weeks, so if you’d rather not come to see the car in person, please give us a call and we can shoot a personal video of the car honing in on any areas you’d like us to concentrate on.

Or, even better, why not contact us with your mobile number and we can set up a WhatsApp video call? You get to direct us in real-time, giving you a virtual personal viewing experience while maintaining the lockdown. We like to call it ‘The Market’s 2020 Vision’…

The vendor is a lovely chap; discerning, fastidious and not one to settle for second-best, he’s had a rich and varied car history and the E55 is just the latest in a long list of ultra-desirable modern classics.

And yet, even he was bowled over by this E55 AMG. Essentially a one-owner-from-new example, it’s been the subject of the most painstaking servicing regimen we’ve seen in a long time.

As a result, it still looks like new and is running perfectly. Utterly standard, it’s a chance in a lifetime for the Mercedes enthusiast to buy the ultimate example of one of AMG’s finest creations.

Despite its very many positive points, we don’t think it’ll break the bank, either. At a time when a prestige car dealer is asking £22,000 for a similar car, the owner is sensible enough to acknowledge that we’re in uncertain times and has pitched his somewhere between £14,000 to £20,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; 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’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and AnyVan for transporting it.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. See our FAQs for more info, and feel free to inspect any vehicle as much as you wish.