S211 E55 AMG sought

[gazz]

A good friend of mine is seeking an E55 Kompressor estate. These are becoming few and far between in the secondhand market it seems, and the chances of getting a good'un even scarcer I suspect.

If anyone is thinking of selling up, his budget is around £15k for the right car.

Please get in touch!

 

[Deleted member 37751]

I hate it when people say what I'm about to say but...it's a shame he wasn't looking a couple of weeks ago, mine would have been perfect for him!

 

[gazz]

I hate it when people say what I'm about to say but...it's a shame he wasn't looking a couple of weeks ago, mine would have been perfect for him!

I know!! I'm also a firm believer though in not starting these sort of things until money and permission from swmbo are firmly in place. Everything is good his end, and the button is being pushed.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

I know!! I'm also a firm believer though in not starting these sort of things until money and permission from swmbo are firmly in place. Everything is good his end, and the button is being pushed.

Your friend has great taste.

If there's anything you'd like to know about what to look for or anything whatsoever, let me know; I've owned 8/9 W211's (I forget how many!) and two E55K's.

One thing I will say for certain is that even if he finds a 'minter' I would still keep a grand back because with the best will in the world and fastidious previous owners, they can still easily need something spending on them.

 

[gazz]

Your friend has great taste.

If there's anything you'd like to know about what to look for or anything whatsoever, let me know; I've owned 8/9 W211's (I forget how many!) and two E55K's.

One thing I will say for certain is that even if he finds a 'minter' I would still keep a grand back because with the best will in the world and fastidious previous owners, they can still easily need something spending on them.

Thank you for your kind offer! Part of asking on here was to hopefully find a car that has been enthusiast owned and cared for. I own a small independent garage and am reasonably familiar with the cars and their foibles. If he was after a saloon I have two customers who would be prepared to sell, but sadly there are no estates on my client list at present. Hopefully that will change ;-)

 

[nickjonesn4]

Good luck with the search. I am absolutely loving my car and can endorse the £1k minimum recommendation. I had to spend that getting a few small jobs done but its now running perfectly.

 

[Will]

Great choice of car

The estates are really quite rare. Be prepared to travel and also make some compromises - either on colour/spec/mileage/year/price etc.

It was a 350 mile round trip for me when I bought mine. Mileage was a little higher than what I ideally had in mind, but the spec was pretty good, bodywork and interior both excellent for the year and the service history was very good - full MB with most of the invoices and pretty much all the air suspension (struts, compressor, relay etc) had been replaced at the main dealer within 10k miles. The only main things I've had to do since have been routine servicing and addressing some common niggles (2x new keyless go handles, replaced a dimming mirror glass etc).

Going back to the issue of mileage - most seem to have 70/80k plus anyway - mine was on 107k which I guess isn't much above average if at all. On the plus side, as on mine the air suspension is virtually new - all done before 100k so obviously this wasn't such a bad time to buy after all. Mileage wouldn't bother me with decent history and obvious care.

I can't think of another car that offers the same amount of space, comfort, power and practicality for less cash? Not sure what I would replace mine with to be honest.

Best of luck with the search - you should find a decent one for that sort of money

Will

 

[Major774]

There is a good dark blue one on Autotrader at the moment (805 build).

 

[simon1966]

Obviously I'm biased in this, but it really is a great choice of car and really quite rare. I personally much prefer the estate shape too compared with the saloon which was good for me as I needed an estate anyway!!

I searched for some time when I bought mine and that was 5.5 years ago. During the time I was looking there were 6 for sale in the whole of the UK and I saw 4 of them. The only 2 I didn't view were in Scotland. As it turned out having the choice of 6 for sale was a bit of a rarity too as since then often there are none advertised for weeks and weeks, so it looks like I was lucky to have the choice. I have never regretted buying it.

I've sort of toyed with the idea of maybe selling mine recently as I'm about to pick up a new small van for work use which means owning an estate isn't such a necessity. The thing is I just can't bring myself to seriously consider doing it and reckon I will just keep this car forever. Never know the estate version may even be considered a classic at some point!!?

My advice would be to hold out for the right car as quite a few are looking a bit tired now, but be prepared for a long search.

 

[DavidL]

I'm just a week into ownership of mine and yes I've already spent money on it (although it was part of the negotiations).
Nice trip to Dorset at the weekend to put it through its paces. Muddy fields aren't its forte!
There is/was a very nice black car for sale - on car and classic - Jersey car on 73k. Top of your friend's budget and that sort of figure will be required to buy it, at least that was what I was told when I offered on it. Whether it's worth it I'm not sure. Nice chap selling.
Might be worth a look.

 

[DavidL]

E55 AMG Estate Fast furious and practical! For Sale (2003) on Car And Classic UK [C625678]

there you go.

 

[AMGeed]

I can't get over the prices being asked for both the saloon and estate versions these days.
Not that I'm selling, but I know I could get more for my car than I paid over two years ago. Most AMG's, in fact most models depreciate, but not the E55K it appears.

I'd endorse the comments so far regarding holding out for a good one. It may take time and you may have to reluctantly walk away from one or two, but the wait is worthwhile.
Also, I agree on compromises. You may have to wait forever to get the colour/spec/mileage you want. Don't be too quick to dismiss one that doesn't quite meet all criteria.
Best of luck on your search.

 

[gazz]

He's onto the Jersey one today. Hope it's good...

 

[Ginger55k]

I can't get over the prices being asked for both the saloon and estate versions these days.
Not that I'm selling, but I know I could get more for my car than I paid over two years ago. Most AMG's, in fact most models depreciate, but not the E55K it appears.

I'd endorse the comments so far regarding holding out for a good one. It may take time and you may have to reluctantly walk away from one or two, but the wait is worthwhile.
Also, I agree on compromises. You may have to wait forever to get the colour/spec/mileage you want. Don't be too quick to dismiss one that doesn't quite meet all criteria.
Best of luck on your search.

I think mines priced to sell Roger, in the classifieds, however there are a few dreamers asking far too much and will be waiting a fair amount of time for a buyer. Am avoiding the autotrader/pistonheads/ebay hassle and i still get to play with it, promised SWMBO I would advertise it and i have.:bannana:

 

[AMGeed]

^ Crafty bugger Tony

 

[gazz]

E55 AMG Estate Fast furious and practical! For Sale (2003) on Car And Classic UK [C625678]

there you go.

Contact has been made. My friend has concerns about import tax that may be due. Anyone know anything about that?
Also the fact that any previous accidents might not show on an HPI report. Obviously any car can be repaired privately and not show on an HPI, but he said something about a previously recorded repair being "hidden" by being imported?

Other than that, the car sounds good. Sbc replaced and one recent front leg. Full decent history.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

That one ^^ has been up and down in price a few times...

I don't want to sound like a rain cloud gazz but, besides the interior, I think it's quite a bit overpriced; I sold mine for £13,500 and it was unique what with the Brabus brakes (don't think I've ever mentioned them before ) plus mine was as near to mint as you can get, I'd say 9.5 out of 10. It also had been under the Tier One warranty up until 2013.

So with that in mind, I think anything over £11,500-12,000 is a little strong but it ultimately boils down to how itchy his trigger finger is.

 

[gazz]

That one ^^ has been up and down in price a few times...

I don't want to sound like a rain cloud gazz but, besides the interior, I think it's quite a bit overpriced; I sold mine for £13,500 and it was unique what with the Brabus brakes (don't think I've ever mentioned them before ) plus mine was as near to mint as you can get, I'd say 9.5 out of 10. It also had been under the Tier One warranty up until 2013.

So with that in mind, I think anything over £11,500-12,000 is a little strong but it ultimately boils down to how itchy his trigger finger is.

I'd tend to agree with you, but I also think the market dictates the price a little. With cars as rare as these you are up against it to haggle the price down. It's not as if you have a lot of choice! You could pass on this one and then sit there for weeks waiting for another. Sod's law dictates if you buy it though, a couple of cheaper ones will surface next week. He has 15 to spend, it's his call.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

That one ^^ has been up and down in price a few times...

I don't want to sound like a rain cloud gazz but, besides the interior, I think it's quite a bit overpriced; I sold mine for £13,500 and it was unique what with the Brabus brakes (don't think I've ever mentioned them before ) plus mine was as near to mint as you can get, I'd say 9.5 out of 10. It also had been under the Tier One warranty up until 2013.

So with that in mind, I think anything over £11,500-12,000 is a little strong but it ultimately boils down to how itchy his trigger finger is.

Also forgot to say that mine came with a spare pair of pads at £520 and a private plate worth at least £1000.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

I'd tend to agree with you, but I also think the market dictates the price a little. With cars as rare as these you are up against it to haggle the price down. It's not as if you have a lot of choice! You could pass on this one and then sit there for weeks waiting for another. Sod's law dictates if you buy it though, a couple of cheaper ones will surface next week. He has 15 to spend, it's his call.

Just to open his options up, dare I mention the S211 E63?

They seem to be in amongst the E55 prices right now.