Description
14th Sep, 2024 10:00
The September 2024 Auction
1989 Mercedes-Benz 560 SEL
Possibly the ultimate 1980s Mercedes
Estimate
£5, 000 - £6, 000
Buyer's premium: 15. 00%
Lot details
Registration: B8 PYE
Chassis: WDB1260392A455266
Odometer: 155, 000
Transmission: Automatic
Great specification
Private registration number included
Lorinser upgrades
Great opportunity to acquire Mercedes greatness
We are very pleased to bring to market this amazing Mercedes-Benz 560 SEL W126 model finished in black with mushroom leather and black piping with burr walnut trim - a right eyeful of German beauty and sophistication! On top of all that, it has some Lorinser upgrades in the form of the body kit, alloy wheels and steering wheel, all which make this car a very special piece of the 1980s. This 560 was registered on 1/ 2/ 1989 to its first owner, and it has come to us from a deceased estate private collection where it has been owned since 2012. Being in a collection, the MOT has recently expired so it will need a new one for future road use. In July, the sum of £1852. 11 was spent on the car with things like brake calipers x4, brake pads front and rear, fuel pump and filter, and work to the ECU. The car starts, drives and stops as you would expect. The big Mercedes has a matching set of Continental tyres, a period VDO radio and its original first aid kit in the rear parcel shelf.
Not many cars boast attractive and exciting designs upon their introduction, but usually within a few short years they become old news in the face of the new kids on the block. Some cars are able to prolong their appeal, courtesy of sheer luck, minor styling tweaks, or competitors’ mishaps. Then there are a select few that can seemingly go on forever, never losing their sense of style even after they end production. The second generation (W126) S-Class is one of those cars. Appearing in late-1979 as a 1980 model, the W126 was an evolutionary styling update of the vintage-1972 W116, but its seemingly minor styling advancements did wonders for Mercedes-Benz’s largest car. Its aerodynamic enhancements gave the car’s already elegant proportions a sleeker, more graceful silhouette, especially in long-wheelbase versions. In all versions, it was certainly a big car, yet it managed to look far leaner and athletic than most cars its size.
Benefitting from the Eighties’ surge in consumer culture, the W126 quickly earned its place as one of the decade’s ultimate status symbols. It conveyed wealth and power without being overly flashy (as a little flash was always appreciated). It was luxurious, with plenty of creature comforts and high-quality trimmings, but not stuffy. Just watch any 80s film or TV show. Every doctor, dictator, drug dealer, diplomat, stockbroker, lawyer, wealthy business industrialist, anyone who was rich and important drove one of these. This wasn’t just the flagship of Mercedes-Benz, this was the flagship of the 1980s. They could’ve driven a more prestigious Rolls-Royce, or a more exotic Ferrari, but there was something supremely perfect about this car. Furthermore, the W126 was sold for twelve model years, right up through 1991. By contrast, most S-Class generations are sold for at most eight years, seeing total sales between 400, 000-500, 000. With total sales reaching nearly 900, 000, the W126 managed to sell roughly 100-percent more examples in only 50-percent more time. Even in its final years, with newer competitors such as the BMW E32 7-Series, Lexus LS400, and Infiniti Q45, the big Mercedes was always a fashionable choice in this class, and this was backed by its impeccable engineering and competitive powertrain, luxury trimmings, and safety features, something that today’s cars don’t just seem to get right.
It is interesting that some very important people have owned a W126 such as, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, John Gotti, Hugh Heffner, Michael Jackson, Lucielle Ball, Clint Eastwood and even the Pope to name but a few - wouldn’t it be nice to add your name to that list? Now is your chance, if you want to come and view this magnificent Mercedes, you can do so at our purpose built facility in Cheshire. Just give us a call and make an appointment and you can possibly add yourself to the celebrity list of W126 owners past and present. What an opportunity!
