Mercedes coupes have always been an object of desire for me. Sure, they lack a little of the carefree fun factor of their open roofed counterparts, but a lot of the classics coupes have blended the conservative style of the sedans with a bit of verve you would expect with a personal luxury vehicle. A two-door vehicle of this size may seem indulgent, but for me, they are oh so right. One of our favorites here at GCFSB is the C126, more commonly known as the 380SEC and later 560SEC on these shores. For a decade, this car carried the large coupe torch for Mercedes-Benz fairly unchanged and was one of those cars of the 1980s people would instantly associate with the wealthy.
First, let’s take a look at this low mileage 560SEC for sale in New York.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1991 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC on eBay
Year: 1991
Model: 560SEC
Engine: 5.6 liter V8
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Mileage: 57,196 mi
Price: $24,950 Buy It Now
This is a 1991 Mercedes 560SEC with 57,000 original miles. This car is originally from California and is in exceptional original condition. Car comes with the original owners manual, original service booklet with stamps all the way through, beginning at Mercedes of Santa Monica. Car has the original tool kit, original Becker radio, and all the Mercedes body panel stickers. This is an excellent opportunity to own a classic 560SEC in the last model year in excellent condition. For more details call 631-283-8819.
Smoke silver is one of those take it or leave it colors for me. It doesn’t offend, but I’d much rather have a nice shade of burgundy or black on this coupe. Something rich looking to accentuate the subtle lines. Considering the mileage and condition we are dealing with, the asking price is a bit on the high side, as prices for good examples are hovering in the $16,000 to $20,000 range, with exceptional ones bringing just a bit more.
Next up, here we have the 560SEC’s direct successor, this time with the power of four more cylinders in the form of the 6.0 liter V12. The C140 SEC arrived on the scene in 1992. As compared to the C126, it had rather more brutish looks, but packed in a whole lot of technology, which, in many instances, makes this a more expensive car to run on a regular basis. Especially the twelve cylinder variant you see here for sale in New Jersey.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1996 Mercedes-Benz S600 Coupe on eBay
Year: 1996
Model: S600 Coupe
Engine: 6.0 liter V12
Transmission: 5-speed automatic
Mileage: 129,542 mi
Price: $8,750 Buy It Now
Up for sale is 1996 Mercedes Benz coupe S600 V12. Car is in very nice shape! All the features are in working condition. Come and test drive it! You will not be disappointed! If you have any questions don’t hesitate. We are here to help buy you a car that suits you! My cell 201-562-5454 David
I don’t mind the C140, but in comparison to the C126, well, for me, there’s just no comparison. I’d take the 560SEC any day of the week. It may be slightly older and less powerful, but the 5.6 liter engine has enough grunt and there are less electronic gremlins that could give up the ghost over time. Therein lies one of the reasons of the price disparity we see here. One question that is always running through the petrolhead part of my brain is how many collectors out there would be willing to take on the challenge of keeping a car like this C140 and many other complex luxury vehicles of the era on the road? Time will tell.
-Paul
Nice to see these cars. I have a 1989 560sec 6.0 AMG and a 1994 S600 coupe (amongst many other V12 90s Mercs). I love both. The W140 is my winter daily driver. The 6L just sits in storage. It’s nice to drive, but not as nice as the W140. The W140 is my favorite car of all time. I am stockpiling them (the V12s), so I can drive them for years to come. Pre 1995 models that is. I don’t like the 1996+ facelift cars. They feel cheaper to me. King of the roads even today.
Wow thats quite a collection you have going Ricky, thanks for sharing. You should start a blog and document your ownership.
Yeah I was gonna say the W140 wins this round. They just might be the greatest grand touring coupe of all time.
I think the BIN price for the 560 is a bit on the high side considering it has non-original chrome wheels and really, the mileage isn’t *that* low to command that price. I’d say this is a $15-17K car.
And yes, while I, too, would take a C126 over a C140 any day (140 coupe too slab sided), I’d have to go for the 600 in this instance, simply on seller’s price expectations. I don’t want to deal with someone shooting for the stars on price when, IMHO, the car doesn’t come near to commanding it in my book. If it had 30K or fewer miles, maybe, but not here.
M120 V12 is the deity of all engines, an absolute engineering masterpiece. I would love to own a W140 V12 someday when my pockets are deep enough to care for and stable it properly.