1998 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG

In the care of the vendor since 2016, this original UK-spec Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG comes with an impressive service history.

Finished in Brilliant Silver with a black leather interior, it was previously owned by a stockbroker in London who was so impressed with the whole E55 AMG vibe he eventually bought a newer one, freeing this one up for its current owner to acquire.

He’s continued to look after it well and has enjoyed the seven years it’s been in his life. However, an upcoming move abroad means he’s got to let it go.

Still, his loss could be your gain because he’s offering it with no reserve, so it’s going to sell from the very first bid…

The Brilliant Silver coachwork is pretty good for a car of this age with a good shine to it and neatly aligned panels.

The flanks are free of ripples too, and the shutlines are still nice and tight and consistent.

The five-spoke AMG alloy wheels are in fine order being free of scrapes, dinks and kerb rash. At 18-inches in diameter they aren’t silly-big and bring a period look to the car we love. They are also fitted with good Nankang tyres on all four corners.

We will never get tired of telling you that 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 it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

It does need some TLC. The front bumper is a bit scuffed and scraped, there’s a little lacquer loss here and there (e.g. #61, #143, and #144), and the nearside rear quarter has some scratches (#162 and #201).

But, the bulk of the work that will be needed is to the wheelarches, which are a rusty and scabby in places. The bonnet has some surface corrosion too, but this seems to be more limited in scope than that on the wheelarches.

Even the bullet-proof W210 is going to show some wear after a quarter of a century – and yet, apart from a slight softening to the driver’s seat, it’s shrugged off a six-figure mileage with impressive aplomb.

This means good veneer trim, excellent door cards, a clean and taut headlining, and very good carpets.

The controls still function with a crispness to them that reeks of quality engineering, and the seats are still comfortable and supportive. Even better, the leather facings are devoid of damage.

The boot is pretty good too, and it’s home to both a CD-multichanger and a full-size spare AMG alloy wheel.

Faults? Well, there is a little surface corrosion in the boot (e.g. #93). Sort that though and you should be good for another couple of decades.

The engine bay is nicely presented being clean and neatly arrayed without being prissy.

As you can hear, the V8 engine starts very well and ticks over and revs as it should. It also makes an impressive noise, partly because of the resonator delete the seller told us about.

He also mentioned a warning light on the dashboard, caused, he said, by a faulty oil sensor. He’s had it replaced once but the fault persists and his garage thinks they must have been sent a duff one. It’s unplugged at the moment but it will need sorting out.

There is also a little surface corrosion under there, which you can see in #42.

The underside bears witness to the recent suspension overhaul, which we believe was undertaken in the past year or so. You’ll notice the presence of Bilstein dampers and Vogtland springs on all four corners, which should reassure you that this was a job done properly. (Nice stance too, huh?)

There are some recent brake pipes as well.

The stamped service history booklet and invoices on file shows the following maintenance regime:

· 10.04.2000 and 15,608 miles – service by Jacksons of Bournemouth

· 17.06.2002 and 29,392 miles – service by Cross Keys of Taunton

· 11.02.2004 and 44,391 miles – service by Mercedes-Benz Banbury

· 26.05.2005 and 65,828 miles – service by TJS Service Centre

· 21.06.2007 and 78,106 miles – service by Diablo Engineering

· 11.09.2008 and 88,382 miles – service by Haven Motor Holdings

· 24.07.2009 and 89,817 miles – service by Diablo Engineering

· 03.06.2011 and 95,807 miles – service by JonPaul Motor Services Ltd

· 31.05.2012 and 97,935 – fresh gearbox oil by JonPaul Motor Services Ltd

· 28.09.2012 and 98,543 miles – service by JonPaul Motor Services Ltd

· 28.07.2014 and 101,689 miles – service by JonPaul Motor Services Ltd

· 18.12.2016 – parts supplied for service

It’s also had a very recent battery, replaced within the past couple of weeks.

The E55 also comes with two keys and the Mercedes-Benz book pack in addition to a wad of old MoT certificates and expired road tax discs.

Its MoT certificate is valid until August 2023 and the recent Vehicle History Check is clear.

This E55 AMG could be revived and brought back to its former glory relatively easily.

Which it deserves to be. It’s been well looked after throughout its life and the modest maladies it faces now could probably be remedied fairly easily. Thus fixed, it’d be in a position to face the next 25 years with the same equanimity it faced the previous ones.

And, for all its many virtues – and staggering performance – we think it’s going to sell for somewhere between £5,000 and £8,000 but as it’s being offered with no reserve, someone somewhere might get an even bigger bargain…

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, 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’.