- A 1990 Mercedes 560SEC with just 15,000 miles on the clock is up for grabs.
- The C126 coupe came with a 5.5-liter M117 V8 making 238 hp and 287 lb-ft of torque.
- Mercedes is currently working on new-generation two-door S-Class and Maybach coupes.
Last month we published spy shots proving that Mercedes wants to bring the S-Class coupe back, and this time offer a Maybach version, too. The new models would be follow-ups to the C217 series coupes phased out in 2021, but we reckon it’s the spirit of the classic 1980s C126 series that Mercedes needs to channel.
Introduced in 1981, two years after the regular S-Class sedan, and on sale for a full decade, the stylish, but imposing SEC clocked up more than 74,000 sales, meaning Mercedes sold 10 times as many S sedans, but there were enough coupes produced to ensure plenty survived. But not many will be as well preserved as this one.
Related: Mercedes May Be Bringing Back AMG And Maybach S-Class Coupes
Up for grabs on the Bring a Trailer auction site, this is a 1990 560SEC, putting it right near the end of production and at the top of the model lineup. The 5.5-liter M117 V8 had to appease US emissions rules, so it delivered a relatively mild 238 hp (241 PS) compared to the 295 hp (299 PS) it cranked out in un-catalysed form in Europe. But with 287 lb-ft (389 Nm) it was pretty lusty for the day: contemporary American road tests recorded 7 seconds to 60 mph (97 km/h) and a 145 mph (233 km/h) top speed.
What sets this car apart from other SECs, though, isn’t its engine but how little action that engine has seen. The odometer shows the stealthy black coupe has traveled only 15,473 miles (24,900 km) from new, and the listing explains that it was in storage between 2007 and 2024 when the selling dealer got his hands on it.
That’s the kind of mileage most of these business expresses normally clocked up in a single year or two, and the pictures do seem to show what could pass for a car that has only just celebrated its first birthday, not its 35th. The seller does say there’s some aging to the brightwork and evidence of previous paintwork on the right rear quarter, but overall it looks fantastic and the black over gray is a classy color combo.
Seems we’re not the only ones to think so. At the time of writing, with six days still to run on the auction, bidding on this classic Mercedes has already reached $35,000 – enough dough to get you into a nice 2017 S550 coupe – and is sure to climb far higher.
