1989 Mercedes-Benz 560 SEC

When first registered in August 1989, this 5.6-litre V8 had 300bhp and 336lb/ft of torque on tap and by no means lacked performance. It could reach 62mph in 6.9 seconds on the way to a top speed of 155mph, not bad for such a large car.

The first owner, a Mr Jackman, (technically the second as it was believed to have been his company vehicle initially) kept the car for 27 years and gave it all the care it needed regardless of cost. He was also responsible for putting most of the 120,000 miles on it before taking it to Mallorca with him in 2008 for several years where it was registered locally.

Brought back to the UK in 2016 and re-registered with the DVLA, the second owner - only known as ‘Victor’ - had the car recommissioned by Charlie Wells at specialists The SEC-Shop in Kent - where many items were replaced.

In 2018 the third owner, a Mr Swales, had further works carried out by Hampstead Motors on the suspension but seemed to experience some running issues.

In current ownership from February 2019, the issues were sorted, again at The SEC-Shop - now known as Prestige Mercedes - replacing the rather costly air idle valve and sorting any other requirements to get it back in shape. He wanted a 560 SEC solely with the idea of driving it to the South of France on a road trip and thought that this one in all-white with AMG alloys looked the part for the Cote d’Azur. But with children and work and then a global pandemic, the trip has never happened.

This is a great car that’s clearly been well looked after, it has a super service history and runs just as it should - but the vendor needs to reduce his car collection and will be sad to see it go.

At first glance, the Arctic White paintwork across this C126 looks superb and, to be fair, you’ve got to look really, really closely to see any blemishes at all - it really is a tidy finish. More commonly grey on the lower sides, the all white look on this SEC does rather suit the car and perhaps doesn’t age it as much. Apparently Clint Eastwood is frequently seen in an all-white one too and I’m sure you’ll agree he knows a thing or two about looking cool.

It’s a difficult job to find anything of significance that’s wrong with the outside of this Mercedes but maybe we’ll call out the minutest touch of delamination in the lower corners of the rear window, a tiny touched in spot next to the sunroof and on the lower near side front wing. You should know that if we’re picking on these very minor issues that the rest of the exterior is very strong.

This 560SEC sits on the optional 16-inch AMG Monoblock alloy wheels which were refurbished last year and appear in great condition sporting a matching set of Pirelli P7 tyres, most of which date from 2016 although one was replaced just last year.

With fewer exterior chrome items than previous generations of top-end Mercedes, the few areas of shiny trim that remain present very well.

The panel under the rear screen is a known C126 weak point and the vendor reports that this one was repaired prior to respray - our inspection of the area shows no visual sign of a problem. 

You don’t have to take our word for its condition though, we are looking after this car during the auction and although some of you won’t be able to visit easily at present, why not get in touch using the ‘Contact Seller’ option and we can either make a video of areas you’d like to see in more detail, or better still set up a WhatsApp video call to direct us around the car in real time.

Given that this is essentially the sporting coupé version of the Mercedes-Benz flagship executive S-Class, the interior comes highly equipped and luxuriously specified to suit the un-chauffeured company director - and has space enough to accommodate three of their senior leadership team in relaxed comfort too.

Slide into the well sculpted and heated blue leather front seats - not the MB Tech faux-hide of lesser Mercs - and you are “presented” with your seatbelt. An arm brings the belt and tab in front of you, presumably so that you’re not forced to reach with your left hand over your right shoulder and unduly crease your Turnbull & Asser shirt.

Although the car wasn’t available as a convertible, opening the large sliding sunroof and dropping the side and door windows gives the occupants the feeling of open-air motoring with no B-pillars to spoil the views.

All equipment is reported to be functioning correctly; windows, sunroof, mirrors, stereo and heated front seats although the cruise is non-functional (although did work once!) and the air conditioning requires conversion to a modern refrigerant gas. This work was previously quoted at around £200. The only other reported foible is that occasionally the fuel gauge sticks to full but usually drops on driving.

Aside from the creasing and patina you’d expect on high wear surfaces such as the steering wheel, door handles and driver’s seat and slight fading of the wood, possibly caused by its Spanish sojourn; the rest of the interior is very strong and requires the new owner to do nothing but enjoy its opulent splendour. The first-aid kit is also present along with a hands-free radio.

Under the bonnet, the engine bay presents extremely well with all areas appearing clean and tidy and with many ancillary parts like ducts, leads and hoses recently renewed. The bodywork inside is clean and free of corrosion - even around the catches, hinges, rim and other bonnet landing surfaces where you’d typically find a little rust. The bonnet itself seems in good order too, with the sound-deadening lining all present and correct.

Underneath the car, everything looks as expected and there is no evidence of any significant issues. The floor pans and structural elements have good underseal coverage and the mechanicals appear in good order. The exhaust system, whilst not new, seems in fine fettle.

In the boot, the carpet linings are intact and in a similarly strong condition to those inside the car. Underneath is a tool roll, jack, wheel brace and a full size steel spare wheel with serviceable rubber fitted. There’s also a Spanish registration plate that was fitted to the car whilst resident in Mallorca. The boot lid itself is also very straight and corrosion free and has a full warning triangle attached to the underside.

This car comes with a great service history, spare keys and folder with service book, owner’s manual plus original sales and upholstery brochures. Take some time to check out the service booklet in the gallery, along with other more recent invoices for work done. The record shows that the last service was just 7 months ago and the car has covered fewer than 380 miles since then.

Its online MOT history indicates a failure in September last year due to a bulged tyre, but there is an invoice in the file for the matching replacement, and the year before, an indicator bulb and a couple of suspension items needed replacing. Aside from that the record also shows the break in UK testing whilst the car was in Mallorca. However, there are what look like Spanish equivalent test certificates in the file. The car has a current UK MOT certificate valid until September 2020.

We believe that the car has been resprayed at some point to deal with bodywork corrosion issues although there is no paperwork to validate this. It is possible that this was done in Mallorca or soon after returning to the UK as there is little documentation from this period.

Those intrigued by the “girl in the boot” photographs may be interested to know that the car was used in a photo shoot last year for the clothing brand “Last Days of the Automobile”.

We are looking after this beautiful slice of Germanic heavy metal during the auction and have of course given it a quick test drive. We are pleased to report that it drives as it should, a powerfully smooth ride with one of the quietest V8s around, and that all equipment is functioning as previously reported. There are no undue rattles or clonks.

It is presented in what is possibly the most timeless colour of them all - white - well suited to further sunny Mediterranean sojourns or road trips. The mileage on this car shows that it hasn’t spent all its life in a garage but has been exercised regularly and well-maintained by people that understand the breed and know what they’re doing.

And yet, for all its considerable charms this low-ownership Teutonic heavyweight isn’t going to be expensive; in fact we think this wonderful example will sell for between £11,000 and £15,000 – and don’t forget that the reserve is typically set lower, so you might come away with a real bargain.

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.