Lot 282 - 1993 Mercedes-Benz 600 SEC

The Mercedes-Benz W140 is a series of flagship vehicles that were manufactured by the German automotive company from 1991 to 1998. On November 16th 1990, Mercedes-Benz unveiled the W140 S-Class via press release, later appearing in several February and March editions of magazines. The W140 introduced innovations such as double pane window glazing, power-assisted closing for doors and boot lid, electric windows which lowered back down upon encountering an obstruction, rear parking markers which rose from the rear wings (discontinued on later vehicles, and replaced with sonar assisted parking) and a heating system which, if desired, continued to emit warm air after the engine was turned off. For details like this, the W140 is often known as the last Mercedes to be 'over-engineered,' a Mercedes trait that was costing the company in product delays and over budgeting. According to 'Motor Trend', this action reportedly caused project cost overruns and resulted in the departure of Wolfgang Peter, Daimler-Benz's chief engineer. The vehicle is believed to have cost Mercedes-Benz over $1 billion to develop. For the consumer, the W140 cost a considerable 25 percent more than its predecessor, the W126.

This rare S600 was first registered in August 1993, finished in white with navy blue leather, with dark wood trim. The car sits on its correct eight hole alloys and is fitted with Continental tyres. The interior is in good condition and it looks as though the rear seats have never been sat in! The car has an impressive stereo system, helped no doubt by the double glazing and great sound insulation. This top of the range car also benefits from automatic climate control and other optional extras such as a rear blind. Being an early car, this car is fitted with reversing markers at the rear corners, which pop up on command. Renowned for their silky smooth V12 engines with the ability to balance a 50p piece on its side at idle, and this one is no different. With nearly 400hp on tap, the performance is impressive, accelerating at some rate on a wave of power. The gearbox shifts seamlessly and it handles as one would expect. The car has now covered 104,321 miles with 6 owners. There has been a documented engine change and although the paperwork has been misplaced, the photo album still exists. It comes with spare keys and its original book pack, although it is missing its service book. This is a rare S600 Coupé, well known within the MB Owners Club and featured as part of their display at the NEC in 2006. It represents unbelievable value today.