An amazing 250S offering stunning originality, character and rock icon provenance
Subject to a full restoration in the late 1990’s with few miles covered since
Owned not once, but twice by former Rolling Stone Bill Wyman
The Appeal
The Paul Bracq-designed W108 was launched at the 1965 Frankfurt Auto Show with three models initially available along with one long wheelbase option (the W109). The cars carried forward the marque’s reputation for impeccably engineered, refined and comfortable autobahn expresses. At launch their engineering values, comfort, style and rarity in the UK drew the attention of many well healed owners looking for Rolls Royce alternatives.
One such owner was Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones who bought this car new in 1966. Today the car presents well thanks to an earlier full professional restoration in 1998. It is thought that the car has only covered around 6,000 miles since it left Mr Wyman’s private collection in 2017. The car is reported to require some engine repairs to bring the car back to a fully drivable condition.
The History and Paperwork
This is a UK supplied and specified 250S
It was supplied new to Rolling Stone Bill Wyman by a South London dealer
This became the first of many Mercedes Bill would go on to own
The car was believed to have cost him £3,853 in 1966
Like many rock icons of the time Bill had wanted blacked out rear windows
Mercedes weren’t able to offer these so Bill commissioned a set from Pilkington
These were thought to have cost about 10% of the original cost of the car
Between 1966 and 1969 Bill used the car to travel around London
This was often to and from Olympic studios where they recorded “Beggars Banquet”
In 1971 Bill part exchanged the car for a Mercedes Benz coupe
In November 1991 Bill was able to buy the car back for £1,000
It had not moved far from his Suffolk home but had fallen on hard times
Sadly, the blacked-out windows had been replaced
In 1998 Bill commissioned specialist Tony Davey to fully restore the car
The Mercedes was thought to have remained in Bill’s collection until 2017
The current owner acquired the car in 2021
There is some great provenance proving paperwork included with the car
This includes the current V5 in the name of the owner
This classifies the car as a Historic Vehicle and so VED and MOT exempt
A significant number of earlier MOTs are present in hard copy
An earlier V5 in the name of Bill Wyman is also present
There are also some press articles detailing Wyman’s ownership of the car
The remainder of the archive consists of numerous invoices
These detail maintenance and repair work undertaken
Included in these is some from the Wyman restoration in 1998
The Mercedes Benz 250S was never a common sight on UK roads. It harks from a period when Mercedes cars were a leftfield and somewhat exotic choice for connoisseurs who appreciated their peerless engineering values. Although near 75,000 250S were built, a tiny fraction of these would have made it to the UK. Today these cars are vanishingly rare, especially in a solid and original looking condition.
This example is notable for its overall condition with both interior and exterior looking admirably well presented. The mechanicals are reported to need attention due to a pronounced bottom end knock but attending to this will deliver a fascinating classic. The car’s rock legend provenance which is clearly document and verified really adds a further dimension to this car. If you want something in common with rock royalty, then this is definitely the car for you.
Notice to bidders
This item is sold on an ‘As is Where is’ basis. The condition of this item is the opinion of the seller and may differ from your own opinion. Photos and listing descriptions are for guidance purposes only*.** Car & Classic do not warrant listing accuracy. Full inspection is recommended. Viewings are at the seller’s discretion. Buyer is responsible for delivery and collection of any item purchased.*
UK-registered cars and motorbikes on Car & Classic are run through an online HPI check. On the HPI report, this vehicle shows no insurance database markers for damage or theft. It is currently not covered by a finance agreement.
A non-refundable buyer’s deposit is payable on this item, refer to FAQs and T&Cs for the applicable percentage.
Car & Classic's secure payment system protects buyers and sellers. At the end of the auction, the winning bidder transfers payment into a third-party escrow account. Once the transfer of the vehicle is complete, both parties confirm they are happy with the sale and the money is released to the seller.
More about buying with us
1966 Mercedes-Benz 250S (W108) formerly owned by Bill Wyman
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