2000 Mercedes-Benz CL 600

First registered in November 2000, this Mercedes-Benz CL600 has been in the seller’s hands since July 2021 as part of a small but discerning collection.

Kept since its purchase in a professional storage environment, ‘V12 GCO’ was in the hands of its previous owner for 14 years, during which time he used it only a little, hence the mileage.

As well as a fulsome - and expensive – service history, it also benefits from a recent professional three-stage machine polish and wax as part of its pre-sale preparation.

The panel gaps could have been drawn in, couldn’t they? Mind you, given its low mileage and the fact it’s based on the S-Class, you’d expect nothing less, would you?

Because Mercedes really did build contenders for the title of The Best Car In The World back then and the build quality you see here shows why. 

Unruffled by the passage of almost a quarter of a century, its panel alignment is rivalled only by the condition of the metalwork; free of dents, dinks, and other damage, it is superb.

The five-spoke, 18-inch alloy wheels are in great shape, too. Unblemished by anything so vulgar as scrapes, scuffs and kerbing, their condition is further enhanced by the presence of a matching quartet of Dunlop Sport Maxx tyres, all of which have good tread.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

Door and window seals are plump and untroubled by UV damage, the badges are bright and vibrant, and the lamp lenses and glazing are all unsullied. 

Even high-wear touch points like the door handles and sill plates, and vulnerable bits like the four corners, are good.

If we’re being really picky then the window tint on the two doors is starting to wear along the vertical edges, and the paint on the offside door mirror has a crack. 

More pressing is the rust bubble on the leading edge of the bonnet, which will need catching before it becomes a bigger problem.

You’d expect a car of this class (S-Class, remember?) to have lashing of wood ‘n’ leather inside and so it proves. And, like the exterior, it’s pretty much untouched by more than two decades of use. 

True, there is some light cracking to the driver’s seat but that’s about the only indication you’re sitting in a car old enough to have witnessed Billy Elliott’s debut.

The passenger seat is in an even better condition and the rear seats are better still and, incredibly, the first aid kit still sits in its compartment in the fold-down armrest. 

The light colour of the hide interior (suede and leather, don’t you know) could have been chosen to highlight marks and stains but – and you’re ahead of us here, aren’t you? – it’s survived brilliantly: If Gloria Gaynor were a car, she’d be this one.

The wooden tambour lids are not only undamaged and have good veneer, they also open and close as they should. Obviously.

Carpets, door cards, headlining, dashboard, and centre console; all are excellent. 

Even the netting pocket in the passenger footwell is taut and undamaged.

The boot is just as good as everywhere else and is home to the 17-inch spare wheel, CD multichanger, warning triangle, and the (probably unused) tool kit.

As for the toys, apart from the usual stuff like electric windows and seats, the highlights for us are rear headrests that fold down at the touch of a button and the fact that the front seats are not only heated but have a massage function.

Oh, and there’s a cradle in between the front seats for a period mobile phone and we’re willing to bet the winning bidder will be scouring eBay for a phone to go it just for the hell of it.

As for flaws, the carpet and overmat on the driver’s side is a little worn, and there is a little surface rust just starting in the boot, but that’s about it.

As the video so clearly demonstrates, the V12 engine rumbles into life with barely a whisper. It idles perfectly and it does so with no warning lights illuminated on the dashboard.

And, if you thought it was quiet inside, lifting the bonnet reveals almost complete silence. It really is uncanny how refined these engines are. You do get a faint murmour as you explore the upper reaches of the rev range, but only a faint one.

The exhaust is a bit more purposeful but this is a car designed and engineered to make good progress as discreetly as possible; if you want people to notice you then there are better options.

As for its condition, the fact the worse thing we can find to say about the engine bay is that it is just ever-so-slightly grubby in places says it all, doesn’t it? 

Mind you, that’s what you get when careful curation meets fastidious servicing.

As for the underside, some of the suspension components, brackets, and fasteners have surface rust on them but that would be easy to treat and remove. Everything else is peachy.

Speaking of peachy, the Mercedes’ service history is recorded as follows:

• 24.10.2002 and 10,259 miles – service by Drayton of Wolverhampton Ltd
• 02.03.2005 and 22,995 miles – service by Mercedes-Benz of Wolverhamption
• 12.11.2007 and 33,344 miles – service by David Dexter Ltd
• 07.12.2009 and 42,360 miles – service by Mercedes-Benz of Worcester
• 13.10.2011 and 49,195 miles – service by Mercedes-Benz of Worcester
• 27.06.2014 and 54,720 miles – new coil packs, sparkplugs, air mass sensor, and oxygen sensors by Gerry Doverman Ltd
• 11.11.2019 and 62,390 miles – new front brake discs and pads plus a new control arm by Auto Vehicle Specialists
• 25.02.2022 and 64,220 miles – service by Derrick Wells including a gearbox service and fresh differential oil

The CL’s MoT certificate is valid until October 2024 and it comes with its book pack, the stamped service history booklet, and plenty of old invoices and expired MoT certificates.

Selling for a six-figure sum when it was new, a CL600 could find a place in every garage; capable of wafting across continents with the same ease it’ll dispatch a winding mountain road, that this example is so well-fettled merely adds to its already considerable desirability.

As does the price because our estimate is trifling; we think the virtual hammer will fall somewhere between £11,000 and £15,000, which is a piffling amount to be able to own and drive one of the greatest V12-engined coupés ever built.

Still wavering? Well, the ‘V12’ registration number comes with the car.

We trust that settles the matter?

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located with the vendor in Grove,Oxfordshire. Viewings are strictly by appointment.  To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.