Chassis WDB 126039 1A 522052
Motor 117968 12 080176
Aufbau 11666

In company ownership since the very beginning
Original 143,000 kms on the clock
Matching Numbers

Bruno Sacco took over from Friedrich Geiger as head of the Design department in 1975. His mentor had left after creating the car of the year, and the task at hand at the end of the 1970s was to replace it. This was nothing less than the brand’s top-of-the-range model: the S-Class.

While his predecessor had scaled new heights in terms of safety, economic considerations were now the order of the day. The oil crisis had left a lasting impact, meaning that the objective was to minimise weight, air resistance, and, ultimately, fuel consumption, even in the luxury class. The whole thing was packaged in a modern body that was elegant in its simplicity. The carburettor engine had been ditched after the first series, with fuel injection, overrun cut-off and electronically managed engine idling now being in vogue. ASR and ASD systems, paired with airbags, ensured maximum safety. A host of new electric aids set a new standard in the upper class.

The second series had been extensively reworked and with it came the secret successor to the 6.9. The 560 SEL had 300 horsepower and a top speed of 250, making it the fastest saloon in the world produced on a large scale. It instilled fear into local competitors from Zuffenhausen, and in Bavaria, it took a few years before the twelve-cylinder was finally able to hold its own against it.

The list of extras seemed endless, while the basic price of the 560 SEL was already a six-figure sum. At DM 141,000, it cost around fifty percent more than the 500 model, but despite this, it took just a few years for more 560 SELs to be sold than 500s. Mercedes sold 75,000 of this prestige vehicle until the model was discontinued in 1991, offering one reason why the W126 series remains the most successful S-Class to this day.

Except for Bavaria, the SEL was the car of choice for governments and public authorities, for individuals both to be driven around in and shown off in. There was even a papal SEL for the pope, and Helmut Kohl refused to get a new one until his it had half a million kilometres on the clock.

When Mercedes presented its successor in 1991, enthusiasm was limited. It was too big, too pretentious, just too much, so that people were happy to give it a pass. Anyone who still owned a W126 simply kept hold of it, often through to the present day – and not without good reason.

This 560 SEL came into service at Christmas 1989, as a car used by the executives at Wiesenthal. It was understated in its elegance, painted dark blue all over and upholstered in grey velours, almost identical to its predecessor, the 6.9. Its fittings, however, were dripping with luxury: a hydro-pneumatic chassis with automatic lowering and guided shock absorption, independent vehicle heating, an orthopaedic driver’s seat and heated seats for comfort, airbags and an ASR system for safety, and a catalytic converter for the sake of the environment. It was also home to all kinds of practical details to cover every possible circumstance, such as a rear blind and a fire extinguisher. Features missing in this list, like air conditioning, had long been provided as standard in this top-of-the-line model.

The 560 SEL was registered on 28 December 1989, with its number plate, W-105, just as special as the car. It served its duty for 21 years, and then took up its well-earned spot in the best possible place, namely, in the company’s collection. It goes without saying that it never missed a service, and that its maintenance was second-to-none. It is unique and today looks as if it had never been driven, with its exterior just as outstanding as its interior. As the 560 SEL, it was the best of the best in its time, and this particular one remains so to this day!