2006 Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG [517]

This stunning car is a late production facelift model offering 517 horses and a whopping 720 Nm of torque courtesy of the factory ‘M014’ increased performance option.

That’s enough push and twist to get you from where you are to somewhere completely different very briskly indeed.

We think that the first owner must have got a bit tick-happy when he first set eyes on the options list for this car.

Consequently, it’s dripping with all manner of extras and bits of AMG gizmology.

Namely…

• Keyless Go
• Panoramic Glass Sunroof
• ABC Suspension with Lift Function
• TV Tuner
• Parktronic
• Automatic Bi Xenon Headlights with Cornering Function
• Multifunction AMG Steering Wheel
• Comfort Seats
• Multi Contour Seats (Massage)
• Ventilated (Cooled) Multi Contour Seats
• 2 Keyless Entry and Drive
• Bose Sound
• Alpine iLX-705D Double Din with Apple Carplay/Android Auto etc
• Carbon Fibre Interior Trim
• Exclusive AMG Perforated Extended Anthracite Nappa Leather
• Wind Deflector
• 19 Inch 5 Spoke (Staggered) AMG Alloys

We have driven the car and can report back with the entirely unsurprising news that it has been built to the hilt by Gunther, Wolfgang and their mates; that it sets off like a furious warthog who’s just caught sight of his worst enemy; and that it does everything asked of it with levels of capability, confidence and competence that still thrill and surprise nearly 20 years after it left the factory.

We can also report that this is one of the very best SL55s we’ve ever seen.

And we’ve seen quite a few.

From a few metres away you’d be forgiven for thinking that this car left the production last week, not in 2006.

Move closer and you’ll find that your initial impression hasn’t changed in the slightest.

It really is in pretty much time-warp condition and the bodywork has no creases, dinks, dents, warps or other aberrations of significance that we can see.

The first owner must have been a big fan of Metallic Obsidian Black because everything about this car is blacker than the inside of a coal bunker on a moonless night.

The blacker-than-black aesthetic lends the car a decidedly sinister gravitas and presence.

We found ourselves not wanting to catch its eye – just in case it decided it didn’t like the look of us.

The shut lines and panel gaps are crisp and consistent.

The doors close with all the weight and precision for which these Teutonic masterclasses in build quality remain rightly famed.

Aside from one light scratch on the n/s/r wheel, the alloys appear to be wholly unacquainted with kerbs or other roadside obstacles.

The matching Pirelli P-Zero tyres look to have plenty of life left in them.

The roof goes up and down in a mesmerizingly balletic display of choreographed engineering, seamlessly summoning and re-ordering various parts of itself from the boot and who-knows elsewhere.

We spotted a couple of stone chips round the aerial, one or two on the passenger door, some more around the nose of the car and the front of the bonnet, and the odd scratch and scuff on the wing mirror housings.

In reality, though, even entirely standard scratches and stone chips are far more notable for their absence than their presence.

The car’s exterior fixtures and fittings are in fine fettle, as are the lights, lenses and badging.

The interior presents equally impressively and is in exceptional condition even for the car’s very low mileage, never mind its age.

The black perforated Nappa leather upholstery wouldn’t recognise a crease or any other signs of wear if you pointed out pictures of them on a damage recognition chart.

The myriad functionalities of the seats all seem to us to be intact, present and reliable.

As far as we can tell, they do everything except change colour, play the national anthem or make a cocktail…but we haven’t read the manual, so we could be wrong about that.

We found nothing to detract from the comfort, support and functionality of the seats, nor from their very classy and understated aesthetics.

The black carpets and mats seem untroubled either by the passing of the years or the ingress and egress of feet.

The door cards and roof lining are following the same script in terms of condition and preservation.

The various carbon-fibre inserts on the centre console and elsewhere have resisted the temptation to deviate from the pristine, as have the car’s controls, instruments, knobs, buttons, switches and dials.

As far as we’re aware, everything does what it’s supposed to do in true ‘Just A Minute’ style – i.e., without hesitation, repetition or deviation.

The boot is every bit as good as the rest of this Dorian Gray-like vehicle.

The engine bay is clean, dry and everything not hidden under various cowlings and shrouds seems to be in its right and proper place.

Unsurprisingly, the undersides of the car appear to be very well preserved from what we can see.

The car comes with a service book that’s fair bristling with stamps, mostly from main dealers.

The service intervals are as follows.

• 7.12.07 – 3,000 miles – Greenoaks Mercedes-Benz
• 18.3.09 – 9,506 miles – Mercedes-Benz Temple Fortune
• 10.5.11 – 16,604 miles – Mercedes-Benz Brooklands
• 2.5.14 – 18,211 miles - Mercedes-Benz Brooklands
• 14.2.17 – 20,004 – John Holland Mercedes-Benz
• 19.9.18 – 25,430 miles – George Frazer Ltd
• 5.3.20 – 28,973 miles – George Frazer Ltd
• 30.3.22 – 30,419 miles – BMC Specialist
• 27.3.24 – 32,480 miles – FTC Prestige & Performance

The car had two new front tyres fitted in March 2024, and a new battery in November 2024.

Anything not covered by the service stamps is attested to by invoices, bills and receipts covering routine maintenance, servicing and repairs carried out throughout the course of the car’s carefully curated life.

It has an MoT certificate, with no advisories, that’s valid until 26.3.25.

It comes with a recent and clear HPI report, full sets of keys, and a pack of manuals, guidebooks and booklets.

Any SL55 AMG is a tremendously impressive and capable car.

It can be whatever you want it to be.

And it will tirelessly perform each and every role in its broad and expansive repertoire with style, panache, performance and quality in equal and abundant measure.

The important thing is to find one that ticks all the right boxes for mileage, condition and service history.

Well, we really don’t think there’s any need to look further than this fabulous example.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £22,000 - £27,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.