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There is certainly something about the early pre-merger Mercedes-Benz AMG cars, even if they were converted after the final assembly and they left the factory. Today’s car, a very rare 1993 600SEL, was done by AMG Japan with an increase in displacement to 7.0 liters, some special bodywork, 18″ O.Z. wheels, and the signature wood trim as many places they could find. Even better, this car was optioned with the individual reclining rear seats that of course are heated too. How much? Well, they aren’t getting any cheaper.
Last week I looked at a really exceptional 1997 Mercedes-Benz S500 that looks to have found a new owner at right under $15,000. Probably a fair price for both parties, and I doubt it will lose much as long as the condition stays close to what it is now. Naturally, that got me looking around at other W140s, and wouldn’t you a 1993 600SEL popped up finished in the rare Nautical Blue Metallic. Granted, any color on a W140 that isn’t black, silver, or white is rare, but this one really seems to pop. Match that with the Palomino interior, and this one is well into “classic” status.
Don’t look now, but it seems like the Mercedes-Benz W140 chassis is finally getting its due. Does that mean go out and buy every Craigslist W140 you can find like people do with the 2.3-16v and W124 500Es? No. Please don’t do that. What I’m trying to say is that the very best of the best W140s are finally selling for prices that I would consider “premium”. Just as an example, a 1996 S600 Coupe with 36,000 sold for $32,500 last week and it looked every bit the part of a new car. The sedan is no different either, although the V12 cars and Grand Edition certainly seem to be the most desirable, and rightfully so. Today, I came across a 1991 600SEL up for sale in Germany with just 15,000 miles. Naturally the car perfect, but this one has a little surprise once you open the doors.
I’m always curious to take a look at pre-merger Mercedes-Benz AMG cars when they come up for sale and today’s car, a 1993 600SEL, is one of those cars I don’t see all that often. Normally, when these V12 W140 cars made their way to AMG or another tuning house like Renntech or Brabus, the factory 6.0 liter would be converted to a 7.0, 7.2 or 7.3 liter. It only made sense, as the M120 is as a robust a V12 as they come, and the profit margins that were probably built into these conversions when these cars were still new made it all worth it. I’ve looked a S70 AMG before with a dubious past and like today’s car, it was actually built at AMG Japan. The thing is, this isn’t a S70; it is still just a 600SEL. So what is going on here?
We love no reserve auctions. Particularly ones that start at under $1,000 for a car that once cost well over $100,000 when new. We’ve reported before about how these big Benzs with V-12s can be a nightmare in terms of maintenance, but this one looked particularly clean and with no reserve, if the price is right, there may be some $s left over to help with inevitable repairs. I think the W140 probably isn’t as bad as the next generation of V12 Mercedes when it comes to work and cost to own, people just give it a bad rap because of the extra cylinders.
