Here is a low mileage 1990 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL. A beautiful car in its own right, this auction is made more compelling by the seller’s decision to offer it at No Reserve. That’s right, there will be no CCC Second Chance or Last Chance System engaging when the clock runs out. This car will have a new owner Wednesday the 10th when the auction timer above expires.
At 131,000 km, there is lots of life and enjoyment left in this big German sedan. These saloons, internally named W126 series at Mercedes, are considered some of the most robust to have come out of Stuttgart and stand the test of time. This example is a Canadian market car and has been in the Montreal area since new. Seller is representing the car for his friend.

The car remains presentable and still fits in at the country club. The “L” in “SEL” represents “long” and one look at the rear doors confirms that this car is the longer wheelbase W126 – 121 inches, technically V126. Badges and light lenses are complete and unmolested. Fog lights and headlight wipers accent the front end, surrounding the grille topped by the venerable three-pointed star hood ornament. Power antenna and sunroof remain functional. Rounding out the still impressive cosmetics are the 15″ Gullideckel alloy wheels which are wrapped in a matching set of 205/65 Goodyear Nordic tires. A nice touch on the rear is the “D” sticker, representing Deutschland. Finished in original colour Smoke Silver Metallic paint (Mercedes colour code 702/9702), the finish does show hints of surface rust in the form of bubbles. Worst is the driver’s side fender in front of the wheel well, with hints of matching corrosion developing in the same spot on the other side; these are pictured in the gallery. Matte lower cladding and polished trim remain sharp. Underneath, the car’s chassis and components look solid, free of corrosion other than that of the surface variety.

Inside, the cabin is appointed in black leather upholstery with burl walnut trim along with a matching dash, centre console, door cards, and carpets. There is light cracking in the leather bolsters of the driver’s seat. Amenities are in the form of an original, still functional Becker Grand Prix AM/FM/Cassette stereo, automatic climate control, leather rear bench seat, and cruise control. The air conditioning system is currently non-functional. The airbag-equipped steering wheel fronts a gauge cluster with a 260-km/h speedometer flanked by a tachometer with analog clock and a multi-gauge pod with fuel gauge, oil pressure and fuel economy readings. The airbag was replaced in 1999 and the six-digit mechanical odometer shows 131k km.

Under the hood is the big German V8, housed in an engine bay that is remarkably clean. At 5.6 litres of displacement, the 16-valve engine features Bosch KE-Jetronic fuel injection to yield 238 horsepower (4800 RPM) when new, matched with an impressive torque rating of 287 lb.-ft. – more than enough to get this big 4100 lb. sedan around. Sending power to the rear wheels through a 4-speed automatic, the car could max out to 233 km/h and make 0-60 romps in 8.1 seconds. Powerful and speedy as it is, this engine and car are known for smooth power delivery rather than of the neck-snapping variety. Brakes are ABS and four-wheel discs at all four corners.

Recent work includes replacing several pipes in the exhaust system, this car is a quiet, smooth runner. There is a Carfax in the gallery. There are two reports of accidents, both under $1,000 in damage and both within six weeks of each other in 2009. Of small value either way, it is not clear if this is a duplicate report of the same incident or if they are separate.

This 1990 Mercedes-Benz SEL is available from the seller in Montreal, Quebec.