2005 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG Estate

A devotee of German muscle cars, owner Alan bought this metallic black station wagon some five years ago.

‘It’s been fantastic,’ he smiles; ‘a real mile muncher and very user friendly.’ During their time together, the E55 has covered some 40,000 miles, though of late, its usage has been declining as his needs have shifted. (And there’s also an C63 AMG in the garage).

The E55 is so comfy,’ he continues. ‘It’s like driving a sofa.’ Then, tellingly, he adds; ‘and it holds it’s own against most cars.’

Ignoring that comment for a moment - and the fact that, given enough room, it will pull ahead of the E63 in an acceleration run - it’s interesting to return to his thoughts on the Mercedes as a long-distance cruiser. ‘Every option box was ticked [on the build sheet] - including the suede-like Alcantara headlining,’ he explains. ‘It has the dynamic [front] seats.’ The bolsters of these move to hold the occupants more firmly when cornering. They are also heated, and even have a massage feature. And yes, it still works.

The car was offered to him by marque specialist who had looked after his other cars. The E55 had been under his care and had essentially been one family owned (husband to wife) since new. So, as well as having a very small number of keepers, it has also been looked after by that same specialist for most of its life.

Alan has always been vigilant in keeping on top of the car’s maintenance. In 2018 it had a thorough brake overhaul, while in 2017 and 2019 it had some pretty costly replacement parts, including struts and compressor in the ‘Airmatic’ front suspension.

In specification it remains a standard (if rather special) unmodified car.

Metallic black is a good colour for these sizeable wagons. Others may look fine in yellow, electric blue or orange, but an E55 AMG is a sophisticated machine. And its paintwork still upholds that aura. It retains a deep shine and a gleam in sunlight where the metallic finish seems to shift between shades of blue and gunmetal grey. If you look hard enough for long enough, you will find a couple of flaws; there is a ripple/paint drip on the front edge of the near-side front door (good luck seeing that if it’s not pointed out to you), and there is some surface rust on the inside rim of the rear wheel arch on the same side, which is easily treatable. (Regarding the former, whatever minor paintwork was done, it is one of the few things not mentioned in the service history. Still; the colour is consistent across the whole of the car). There is also a small crack in the bright metal trim under the front offside headlight. Again, not really noticeable from any distance.

Looking around the big estate, other scuffs so often found on a family mules are not present; no scratches to mirror edges or the roof rails. The carbon fibre chin spoiler is scrape-free and the alloys show no scuffs. Actually, they’ve been refurbished and are fitted with a brand new set of matching Bridgestone tyres.

All the panels hang together well and doors and tailgate shut with that superior-sounding Mercedes thunk. The three-pointed star stands proud and bright on the bonnet, while any other shiny bits - V8 Kompressor badges and tail insignia also look bright with no discolouration or pitting. Apart from that tiny crack, the bumper trims on all four corners look good.

The glass looks good all round- no signs of delamination or chips. By the way, it’s triple-glazed, solar glass (open the door and look at the edge). It will help keep you cool in the summer as well as adding a bit of privacy.

The interior of the E55 is a tribute to the way all its owners have treated the car. It appears none have abused it over its 112,000 miles driven. Starting in the footwells, the mats aren’t perfect, but they’re pretty clean and very presentable. They’ve certainly protected the carpeting, which is very tidy - no worn patches, stains or frayed edges where it meets the sills or centre console structure. The ‘rhino hide’ style plastics throughout the cabin have held up very well. They retain their original colour, have not been chipped nor bent out of shape and are obviously made from quality materials. The big steering wheel has the same finish and shows no fingernail marks or fading around its rim. The two control surfaces on the centre boss match the rest of the wheel in colour and show little if any signs of wear.

Mercedes interiors are pretty tough. They also have a reputation for creating a sophisticated ambience, and here again this AMG flagship doesn’t disappoint. The wood veneer - almost birds eye maple-like - retains a subtle gloss, and its lacquer is scratch-free. (Choosing this over more overtly sporty carbon fibre trim probably tells you something about who this wagon is aimed at.)

However, don’t mistake those perforated leather seats for anything other than some of the best when it comes to taking care of you on anything from autobahns to twisting mountain roads. As has already been said - all the features work - heat, massage and active lateral control - and the leather is in great condition too.

There is very little wear to speak of; a few creases on the inner bolsters in the rear, and a little faint scuffing to the outer bolster of the driver’s seat, but absolutely nothing to detract from that ambience, or indeed the value of the car. Couple that with the level of equipment offered - tv tuner, hifi, aircon and satnav (and yes, all the buttons work) and you have a very seductive space for most any driver.

Being so fully loaded with extras, this particular example is fitted with the 7-seater option, which provides an additional two rearward facing seats on the boot.

For its age - and that it has at times been a workhorse - this car looks awfully good underneath. As you’ll read in the history, brake and many (front) suspension components are relatively new - and they sit behind infeasibly shiny alloys.

Indeed, the whole of the underneath looks impressively robust. Brake hoses look good, as do springs and shockers. Yes, there is (understandably) surface corrosion on some parts - by no means all - but nothing to remotely render any component unservicable or useless. There is also a fair bit of surface rust on the exhaust - perhaps giving the next owner an excuse to replace it with a ‘boutique’ system and add a bit more power… just a thought. Much of the underside is protected by undertrays, and while sporting a few scuffs, these are in very good shape.

In the engine bay, the big V8 takes centre stage. (AMG powerplants sport a little plaque with the engine builder’s signature.) There’s not much visible of the engine itself, nor its attendant supercharger, but everything looks clean enough - in a ‘taking care of business’ kind of way. The thick under-bonnet padding is very much intact, suggesting there has never been an overheating problem, and there are no signs of leaks or oil stains.

Pulleys, jubilee clips, bolts and belts all look strong, and there are no untoward squeaks, rattles or whiffs of smoke to signal any mechanical issues when the engine is fired up. It idles smoothly and revs freely when the throttle is prodded.

Although it holds no guarantees, there is something very reassuring about the handful of keepers this car has had; husband, wife, then temporarily on to the service specialist who maintained it (not really an owner), before passing it onto Alan.

The whole history bears testimony to everyone’s investment in the machine; the full dealer service history can be accessed on-line through Mercedes. This is a no questions unanswered car.

But it is the last few invoices which bring the greatest piece of mind; the big brake overhaul in 2018, air suspension struts in 2017 (£589 each side plus compressor), and then the front castor arms in May 2019. Firstly, they demonstrate the owner - Alan’s - willingness to keep the car in top road-going condition. But secondly, they mean a couple of the most likely big ‘mid-life’ service jobs have been tackled - so you won’t have to confront them again for a goodly while…if ever.

Also coming with a fresh MOT with no advisories, just adds to the general confidence in this car.

The hierarchies of the German power-wagons are complex and their value systems often based on performance and tunability as much as condition, There are many nuances of that market which only initiates understand. Still, the highest values usually go to the hardest-charging, high-horsepower variants.

The E55 AMG sits slightly to one side of this circus; more urbane, hugely capable - especially over distance - and understatedly sophisticated. By dint of their capabilities, most of these AMG wagons are fairly high milers, but with proper maintenance (as here) that isn’t an issue.

So; we have a versatile shooting break in a gorgeous colour scheme with every extra any owner could have wished for included in its build sheet. What’s not to like?

It’s combination of qualities will be tempered by it’s medium high miles, so we expect it to sell for between £10,000 and £14,000, which we feel could be a bit of a bargain.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the owner in Leicester. 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, Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.

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.

This vehicle is not with us at The Market’s HQ near Abingdon, which means we have had to rely on the owner’s description of it, in conjunction with the photographs you see here, to compile the listing.

With this in mind, we would encourage potential bidders to contact the owner themselves and arrange to view the car in person, or to arrange a dedicated video call in which they can view the car virtually and ask questions.

Also, localised paint repairs are common with collectible and classic cars and if they have been professionally carried out then they may be impossible to detect, even if we see the car in person. So, unless we state otherwise, please assume that any vehicle could have had remedial bodywork at some point in its life.

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.