• Extensive history

• Same owner for the last 20 years

• 5.0 litre V8

First launched in 1979, the W126 had been in development for six years as the next generation S-Class. Launched as a four-door luxury saloon, it was fitted with either a 2.8 litre six-cylinder, 3.8 litre V8 or the 5.0 litre V8 fitted with either 4-speed automation or 5-speed manual gearboxes. The design team had also been busy since the approval of the W126. 

They had been working on the C126, which was a two-door coupe version of the W126. In 1981, the C126 was introduced and was badged as either the 380 SEC or the 500 SEC. A second series was launched in 1985, which featured a revised six-cylinder engine, and the introduction of the Bosch KE-Jetronic fuel injection system, which gave better fuel economy and more power.

The seller of this classic Mercedes 500 SEC has been the owner for the past 20 years. He has used the car to travel from the UK to his other residence in Southern Spain, and has ensured that the Mercedes has been extremely well maintained, with paperwork to back this up. 

The seller has been very meticulous with the history of the Mercedes, from saving every invoice, to handwriting everything which has been done to the car in a notebook explaining the fault and what was done to rectify it. There has been some paintwork carried out on the 500 SEC to the bonnet, sides and boot in the past, to freshen it up.

The V5 is present and shows 3 previous keepers. 

The history for the Mercedes is excellent, with plenty of bedtime reading to satisfy you. This  includes handbooks, two service booklets, one of which is full, plus an abundance of invoices to keep you entertained.

There is an MOT on the car which was carried out on 9th October 2021, and it passed with just a small oil leak noted on the advisories.  

Inside the Mercedes, the seats are finished in mushroom leather. There is some wear to the driver's seat and it has worn through on the bolster. The seats are electric and are working as they should, apart from the height adjustment on the passenger seat. The rear seat is in good order and doesn't look to have had a great deal of use over the years. 

Looking at the door cards in the front and rear, these are in good condition with no obvious signs of damage. Nice to see the seatbelt butlers are working as they should, extending out as you close the door. The front windows go up and down as they should. The rears do work, but are much slower, possibly down to lack of use. 

The dashboard is in good condition with no splits or cracks to mention. The instrument binnacle was replaced at 112,430 miles, with the replacement mileage showing 88,261. This means that there is a difference of 24,169 which should be added to the current mileage of 126,470, bringing the actual mileage to 150,639. The instrument change is all noted in the service book and the handwritten notebook. 

The beige carpets, as you would expect, show some light signs of age to the front, and directly above, the headlining has started to sag in the rear and has come away to the back of the sunroof. Into the boot area, and again, the carpet does show signs of age. The warning triangle is present along with the original tool kit. 

  

The 500 SEC is a beautiful shape, and even more so when the windows are down revealing the smooth, pillarless look. Finished in Petrol Blue metallic, the 500 SEC has had some body work carried out over the years to maintain its looks. Everything has been repainted at some point apart from the roof.

Starting at the front, the headlights and fog lights are free from any cracks. The bumper has a few chips and scuffs to it, and the passenger side corner has been touched up with an aerosol. The bonnet aligns as it should. 

Moving around to the sides of the long, sleek Coupe, the driver’s door has dropped a little towards the back edge, and there are some signs of body filler in the door and around the wheel arches. The chrome trim that runs around the Mercedes is mostly in good order, with just the odd couple of pieces that have a dent in them. The window surrounds are in good condition and there are no excessive scratches to be seen on the windows, other than general age related marks, on the rear window there is a section which has started to delaminate.   

To the rear, the boot lid aligns nice and straight. The lights are free from any splits or cracks. As mentioned, the trim that follows around to the rear is slightly dented. The wheels are in original condition and do have some marks as you would expect from 1987. The tyres are worn, but still have a good number of miles left on them.  

This C126 is fitted with the Mercedes tried and tested 5.0 litre M117 V8 engine, producing 242bhp with 295 ft-lb torque, and fueled by the Bosch KE-Jetronic fuel injection system. Flick the key in the Mercedes and it fires straight up and comes to a nice even idle. The engine sounds just as it should with no noises creeping in that shouldn’t be there. 

The seller reports that the car pulls well through the 4-speed automatic gearbox, with the change being nice and smooth. The suspension on the 500 SEC holds the car well, and it sits just as Mercedes intended. The car soaks up the bumps with ease and is a pleasure to be in on a long journey, as the owner has done on many occasions to Spain.

It has to be said that the Mercedes 500 SEC is certainly well into the realms of a timeless classic, with its elegant body shape and the extra special look when all the windows are down, displaying the missing B pillar. 

With 12 months MOT, the car is ready to be used, or it would be nice to see the new keeper carry out the cosmetic work which would bring this pillarless luxury coupe back to its former glory.