Description
Mercedes Benz CL420 C140 4. 2 V8
117, 000 miles
Azurite Blue with Cream Leather
M119 4. 2 Litre 32 Valve V8
Very High Specification
Rare Leather Stitched Centre Boss and Wood Rim Steering Wheel
Extensive History and Paperwork
Thousands Spent Over the Years
Ice Cold Air Conditioning
A fantastic opportunity to own one of the great Mercedes Benz coupes of the 1990s.
This is my Mercedes CL420 C140, finished in stunning Azurite Blue with contrasting cream leather. It is a superb looking combination and, together with the enormous pillarless windows and imposing proportions of the C140, gives the car incredible road presence.
I had wanted one of these for some time and looked at quite a few C140s before taking the plunge on this particular example. I quickly realised there is a huge difference between the cars available, and I was not interested in simply buying the cheapest one. This car stood out to me because of its overall condition, history, specification and colour combination.
It has covered approximately 117, 000 miles and comes with a substantial amount of paperwork and invoices from previous owners. Thousands of pounds have been spent maintaining the car over the years and there is plenty of history for the next owner to go through.
VERY HIGH SPECIFICATION
The specification is one of the things that makes this particular car stand out.
One of its most unusual features is the extremely rare steering wheel with a leather stitched centre boss combined with a wood rim. It is a beautiful period Mercedes detail and something I have seen on very few other C140s.
Combined with the cream leather, extensive wood trim and sheer quality of the C140 interior, it makes the cabin a genuinely special place to sit.
LEGENDARY M119 V8
Under the bonnet is Mercedes Benzs superb M119 4. 2 litre 32 valve V8 producing approximately 279 bhp when new.
The M119 is one of the great Mercedes V8 engines and suits this car perfectly. It is smooth, refined and effortless, but still has the performance and V8 character you want from a large pillarless Mercedes coupe.
I have used the car regularly throughout the summer rather than keeping it sitting around and it has been completely dependable.
It starts and runs beautifully, the V8 pulls strongly and the automatic gearbox makes it an effortless long distance cruiser. The air conditioning is also ice cold and has worked brilliantly throughout the summer.
ON THE ROAD
These cars really do feel like they come from a different era.
The huge doors, pillarless glass, long bonnet, leather and wood interior and sheer solidity make even an ordinary journey feel like an occasion.
This was one of Mercedes Benzs flagship cars when new and the engineering that went into the C140 is obvious when you drive one. There is a sense of quality and over engineering that is increasingly difficult to find in modern cars.
It also gets a surprising amount of attention. C140s have become a genuinely rare sight on UK roads and the Azurite Blue paintwork really suits the shape.
CONDITION
I want to describe the car properly and realistically.
This is not being advertised as a concours or museum example. It is around 30 years old and has been driven and enjoyed, so naturally there are age related imperfections if you look closely.
However, it is a very presentable and highly usable example which I would happily continue to use. More importantly, it has the history, specification and character that I was looking for when I bought it.
The interior presents extremely well for its age and the cream leather against the Azurite Blue exterior is a fantastic combination.
HISTORY
There is a substantial amount of paperwork accompanying the car from previous ownership.
Thousands of pounds have been spent on the CL throughout its life and the invoices and paperwork were a major attraction to me when I was deciding which C140 to buy.
With cars of this age, I believe history and evidence of ongoing expenditure are far more important than simply finding the lowest mileage example.
REASON FOR SALE
The reason for sale is completely genuine. An electric car has now arrived and unfortunately I cannot justify keeping both.
I have thoroughly enjoyed owning and using the CL throughout the summer and it has proved to be a dependable and genuinely enjoyable classic.
The private registration currently shown in the photographs is NOT included in the sale and will be retained. The CL will return to its original registration prior to sale.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The C140 is finally receiving the appreciation it deserves.
This particular car combines the legendary M119 V8 with a fantastic Azurite Blue and cream leather colour combination, very high specification, an extremely unusual steering wheel and a substantial amount of history and paperwork.
I had wanted a C140 for some time and looked at quite a few before eventually buying this one. I quickly realised there is a huge difference between examples, so I held out for a car with the right combination of condition, history, specification and colour.
This one stood out immediately. Azurite Blue over cream leather suits the huge pillarless C140 shape beautifully and it has incredible road presence. It is also a very high specification example, with one of my favourite features being the extremely rare leather stitched centre boss and wood rim steering wheel. It is a small detail, but really sets the interior apart.
There is also a substantial amount of paperwork and invoices with the car, with thousands of pounds spent by previous owners over the years, which gave me confidence when choosing it.
My favourite thing about the CL is simply the way it makes you feel when you drive it. The huge pillarless windows, long bonnet, beautifully finished leather and wood interior and smooth M119 V8 give it a sense of occasion that modern cars struggle to replicate.
It feels properly over engineered and special, yet I have been able to use it regularly throughout the summer without fault, with ice cold air conditioning making it a genuinely usable classic.
You simply do not see many C140s anymore, and this one gets attention wherever it goes. For me it represents Mercedes at its very best and an era of engineering and build quality that we are unlikely to see again.
