2002 Mercedes-Benz S320 Limousine

This low-mileage LWB S320 has had one registered owner from new and is still wearing protective plastic film on its kick plates.

Being a limousine variant, it comes with many of the trappings of luxury expected by those who routinely occupy the back seats of such vehicles. Namely, a rear TV and entertainment system, a refrigerator in the rear centre armrest, soft-close doors, a rear screen electric blind, and rear air-conditioning.

The car had new tyres and a new fuel pump in April 2023, and the vendor spent £1,300 on a new battery and replacement modules for the driver’s side door and wing mirror in November 2023.

However, there remains a little electrical snagging work to be done.

Currently, neither wing mirror is playing ball and the front passenger-side window has decided that it’s only prepared to go up and down in small, incremental bursts.

The keyless start system is also turning down requests to perform and the boot lid can only be closed by holding the button pressed down as you shut it, finally (as far as we’re aware), the indicator warning light is showing. 

We suspect that a competent Mercedes whisperer would have these errant behaviours corrected in a jiffy.

To say that this vehicle has been used sparingly would be something of an understatement. 

In 2005, the car’s mileage was 6,038.

Today it is 11,618, which must make it one of the lowest mileage examples you could hope to find anywhere.

You won’t be too surprised to learn that this S320 looks very much like a car that’s yet to tuck 12,000 miles under its belt.

In other words, it looks pretty much minty fresh and squeaky clean from every angle, inside and out.

The bodywork is very straight, and there are no cracks, holes, creases, ripples, dinks or dents of any significance anywhere that we can see. 

The doors close with plenty of Teutonic weight, authority and precision, and the shut-lines and panel gaps are clean and consistent. 

There are a couple of small scuffs on the rear bumper and the n/s/r wing, plus one or two thin scratches on the nearside doors.

There’s a scuff on the front bumper and a handful of small stone chips at the front of the bonnet and around the front valance.

There is some scuffing and evidence of kerbing on the offside wheels, particularly at the front.

The lights, lenses, badging, trim and other exterior fixtures and fittings are all in fine fettle.

As you might expect to find in a car that’s barely run-in, the interior is showing no discernible signs of use or abuse that we can detect. 

The perforated black leather upholstery has yet to earn a crease, let alone any ingrained patina and the seats - front and back - are comfortable, supportive and, as far as we’re aware, fully functional.

A few sections of plastic, notably the rear TV surround and bracket, the glove compartment button and the dashboard section housing the light controls, have become decidedly sticky to the touch.

We’re confident that a decent cleaning product would soon sort it out as it’s not related to the dreaded ‘sticky button syndrome’ that routinely affects Maranello products of a certain vintage.

The headlining is fine as are the carpets and mats.

Ditto the door cards.

The wood inserts are good, although there is a hairline crack to the lacquer on a section of the dashboard wood.

One or two scuffs can be found on the dashboard plastic nearest the driver’s door. 

The steering wheel, gear selector and other controls are in first-class condition. 

The large list of nterior specication includes : -

Refrigerator in Rear Centre Arm Rest

Climate Control

Rear Air Conditioning

Keyless Start

Heated Electrically Adjustable Rear Seats

Rear Seat TV

Rear Screen Electric Blind

We didn’t press every button, flip every toggle or tweak every knob, but those we did press, flip and tweak did as they were instructed without misbehaving – except for those that didn’t, and we mentioned those earlier. 

The impressively capacious boot is in very good order.

The engine bay is dry, clean and tidy, and everything looks to be in its right and proper place. 

The undersides of the car appear to have a plenty of structural integrity, as you would hope and expect. 

As you might imagine of a one-owner-from-new car with so few miles on the clock, its history is comprehensive and well-documented, but necessarily concise.

The service book has main dealer and specialist stamps all the way through to 2018, and paperwork attesting to other routine care after that.

The mileage and MoT histories suggest that, from pretty much 2011 onwards, this car’s main annual outing has been to and from an MoT testing station.

It comes with various receipts and invoices covering recent maintenance and repair work, a V5C, full sets of keys, various books and manuals, and a recent HPI check.

It has an MoT certificate that’s valid until 11.10.24.

Back in the day, the Mercedes-Benz W220 was the automotive benchmark for understated luxury, superb engineering and all-round competency.

It was the gold standard against which any aspirant contender from BMW, Jaguar, Lexus or Audi would be measured.

To find one with this mileage is really rather special. 

Yes, a couple of electrical gremlins need to be taken outside and humanely despatched, but given the condition, quality and freshness of the car as a whole, that’s a very small price to pay, in our opinion.

We’re confident to offer this fine car for auction with an estimate of £8,000 - £12,000. 

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment.  To make a booking, 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, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.