2002 Mercedes-Benz G55 AMG

The vehicle we are pleased to be offering today was ordered new by legendary guitarist and rock musician Eric Clapton in the UK. Mr Clapton took delivery of his G 500 in June 2002. Since this is an early AMG model, the car still had the G 500 product code, but was specified as a G 55 AMG, the first G-Class AMG series ever built. The car is presented in nice original condition in its tektite grey paint over beige leather interior. As documented by the original sales invoice in the name of Mr Clapton, the car was delivered with an array of special interior and exterior features.

The car presents very well from outside given its age and regular use it has seen. The grey paint is in very good condition, though it is of course possible that some areas have been repainted. This G-Class was not merely used as a town car and it consequently has some dents and paint imperfections a bit all over the vehicle. Some rust is visible on the body, but nothing that one should be concerned about and that would require immediate attention. The wheels, non-original to this car, are in decent condition, but are starting to show some severe surface corrosion in different areas that can be addressed by a professional refurbishing. The tyres currently mounted date from 2011. As mentioned earlier, the car had different optional extras on the outside, which included protective silver grilles on the rear lights and front bonnet indicators and additional chromed ram bars at the front and rear. Most of these optional extras have been removed from the vehicle. The lights are in good condition without any damages and are not tarnished. The bonnet indicator on the right-hand side is slightly yellow in colour and appears to be cracked. All the badges appear to be present and in good state of preservation. The rubber on the running boards is detached in some areas.

The inside presents in decent original condition with usual signs of wear but no damages. The beige leather, testimony to its great quality, is in nice condition and not torn in any areas. The seats show some signs of age but could be greatly improved upon with the help of a detailer. The dashboard is intact and in good condition with all the buttons present. Interestingly, the odometer is in miles, but the car was specified as a left-hand drive car for the UK market, an unusual choice. It is possible that Mr Clapton was using his car for trips to Europe on a regular basis and thus preferred to have a left-hand drive layout for greater comfort on central European roads. The roof lining in grey Alcantara is in excellent condition. The carpets, in matching beige colour, are in decent condition but would benefit from a clean-up, especially in the trunk area. Worthwhile mentioning is the equipment of the vehicle. Not only does the car feature the above-mentioned leather interior, it also comes with elegant applications of mahogany wood that can be found on the steering wheel, gear-lever, handbrake and inside door handles, giving the interior of the car a luxurious appearance. The rear passengers are entertained by two small TV screens mounted on the rear of the front seats, and a separate screen is fitted at the front. Front and rear screens are independent from each other. The most notable and unique feature of this car however is the audio equipment in the boot. Hidden in a huge leather trimmed box you will find all kinds of wonderful jiggery pokery that will provide fantastic sound quality for all the passengers. In fact, the system is so complex, one of the previous owners had to ask an electrician just to work out how to turn it all on. It can be assumed that all these installations cost its legendary first owner around 25.000 GBP at the time.

Underneath, the condition seems coherent with the rest of the car, and we don't notice anything abnormal or worrying on the pictures. These are cars that are built to last and not particularly prone to rust, however, with a car that is 21 years old, one should always be prepared to be spending some money on small repairs and maintenance interventions.

The engine bay is rather clean with no signs of missing or non-original parts or oil leaks.

The G-Class on offer was acquired new by Eric Clapton in 2002. It is unclear for how long he kept it, but we do know that it was not for a very long period as there are invoices from a few years later in another owner’s name. The car then had a series of owners in the UK before being sold to mainland Europe. All the owners are documented through the various documents and invoices on file. The car is currently owned by a lady from the north of France who acquired the car two years ago from a French owner who had owned the G-Wagen for a total of eight years.

The Mercedes G-Class is a legendary car that has gained absolute cult status. It is known to be exceptionally reliable, powerful, and unbeatable off the road with its unique feature of three lockable differentials – one of the only road cars ever built with such a feature. Whether many of G-Class owners ever make use of those off-roading capabilities is a different question, but let’s say that it is always good to know what your car is capable of! The vehicle on offer here features a fascinating backstory and comes with an exclusive audio installation that was specially designed for the car, we presume it could have been ordered by Clapton himself. The menacing SUV is in decent condition overall but has been used as intended by a variety of owners, so the winning bidder needs to be aware that some cosmetical and probably also mechanical work is required to make the car perfect.

With a fascinating history and unique specification like this, we think this is an excellent opportunity for all those who have always wanted to own a G-Wagen, and for those who love music and love great sound quality, this really is an opportunity not to be missed.