Large, luxurious, and very serious, the first generation CL was also an SEC and S during its life. While Mercedes-Benz played the Nineties naming games with its lineup, the W140 soldiered on in two-door format as a last-of for a top-tier Mercedes coupe.
The W140 500 SEC and 600 SEC were introduced in 1992 globally as successor to the C126 (that’s coupe) variant of the legendary W126 S-Class. We’ve covered C126 previously in both standard and cocaine-inspired AMG variants, but never a W126. Look for it in a future Rare Rides Icons.
Both versions of the W140 were penned by Bruno Sacco late in 1987, during the middle of his career at Mercedes. Sacco was lead designer at Benz between 1975 and 1999. With the W140, he brilliantly continued the pillarless hardtop styling of the C126. Two models of SEC were initially available: The 500 used a 5.0-liter V8 that produced 320 horsepower, while the top-drawer 600 SEC had a V12. The most expensive car Mercedes produced at the time, it used a 6.0-liter engine that produced 394 horsepower and rocketed the coupe to 60 in 6.1 seconds. The 600 SEC was incredibly exclusive, and fittingly asked $132,000 in 1992. Adjusted for inflation that figure comes to an eye-watering $262,000. V12 models were identifiable almost solely via their V12 badges on the C-pillar and the 600 on the back.
The range expanded into other models over the years, as a less expensive 4.2-liter V8 was an option in some markets. On the other end of the spectrum, AMG models used larger and more powerful V12 engines of 6.0, 6.9, and even 7.3 liters. That largest engine allowed the CL 73 AMG a top speed of 199 miles per hour and was the engine Pagani chose to power the Zonda of the 2000s. Standard Mercedes-issued coupes were all limited by German tradition to 155 mph. A considerable number of horses were required to motivate the CL, since in any trim it weighed at least 4,500 pounds, and weighed about 4,900 pounds with a 12-cylinder lump upfront. All cars used a four- or five-speed automatic dependent on model year.
In 1994 the SEC moniker that Mercedes used for decades was replaced by an S, as the S 500 Coupe and S 600 Coupe more closely identified with their sedan sibling. It was a temporary measure though, as for the model year 1997 in Europe and 1998 in North America the S was swapped for CL, and the CL-Class was born. Models were then CL 500, CL 600, and so on. The car underneath changed little over the years, as Mercedes used their best build quality, materials, and technology in their halo coupe.
The W140 coupe was offered through 1999 in Europe and 2000 in North America, at which point it was replaced by the W215 CL-Class. The second CL was based upon the new W220 S-Class sedan. The W215 was noteworthy, as it was Bruno Sacco’s final design for Mercedes. Both the W215 and its 2007 successor (C216) were more modern, full of even more technology, much more complicated, and as a consequence has aged more poorly over the years. Both second and third-gen CLs can be found commonly on high-quality internet content like “You Can Get All This $200,000 Mercedes Coupe For $15,000 You Guys Like and Subscribe,” but the W140 SEC and CL have escaped such an undignified fate. Their quality, non-bling appearance, and limited production (26,022 total) have kept them under the radar.
Shortly before the end of its production, Mercedes offered a final run trim on the W140 CL which they creatively called Final Edition. Said special edition seems to be an “all options as standard” version of the CL 500, and in this instance pairs a nice navy metallic paint to a black interior, with sporty AMG-adjacent monoblock wheels. A testament to its build quality, today’s CL has traveled over 164,000 miles and looks brand new. Located in Spain, the future classic asks $15,235.
[Images: Mercedes-Benz]
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Wow, that’s a beautiful car, built before bug-eye displays, bizarre headlight arrangements, black wheels, and 2.0T’s became all the rage.
+ a lot.
The W140’s ultra-serious nature and the coupe body style don’t really go, for me. I’d take either a W140 sedan (S500 with executive rear seating, please) or a W126 SEC over this.
I think the mid-0s 560 SEC looks more upscale.
A dealer in Sharpsburg had one weeks ago, about half those miles and I think they had $11,995 on it. I can’t seem to find it now, I suppose it was sold or wholesaled. If I could just find that money tree, I may have been on it but at the same time I understand what a Mercedes entails so eh…
I find them very appealing in a 90s fatty sort of way.
Agreed, would make a fine Sunday car.
Only 26,000-some for the entire W140 coupe run in the US? I figured they were more common than that. I see them on the road more than, say, W124 coupes.
That 26k figure is the total global coupe production.
You’re probably seeing the same example or two over and over again. I recall seeing one on the Ft Pitt bridge a few years ago, don’t recall the color but it may have been the same example which was on sale in Sharpsburg.
Coupes are ok for some people. Large coupes are… not ideal, shall we say.
I feel the opposite, unless one is regularly carrying passengers rear doors are superfluous. The longer wheelbase of a [real] sedan size coupe makes for great lines and profile, automobiles of distinction and fine taste.
Can someone please explain this? (Use simple words – I am old and slow)
https://www.mbusa.com/en/vehicles/class/cla/coupe
https://www.mbusa.com/en/vehicles/class/cls/coupe
https://www.mbusa.com/en/vehicles/class/amg-gt-4-door/mercedes-amg-gt-4-door-coupe
It’s nice to not have the B pillar right next to you. Coupes with long doors rule.
Weren’t these built during the malaise era of MB? I thought these were really cost cutting s classes.
No, that was the next generation. These were the last hurrah of cost-no-object MB engineering.
They spent some astronomical figure of development money on the W140 because they knew they needed to make a big statement in replacing the W126. I want to say $2B.
This was designed and built before the merger and sold when the Daimler-Chrysler models were planned. Needless to say, the before and after was a bit jarring (I’m looking at you C-class).
This CL, if I can mumble my inner drunk Nicholas Cage in Leaving Las Vegas,is “Seeexxxxyyyy…”
That “Final Edition” inside is as quiet as a tomb.
Double glazing is standard!
Ja, it is quite comfy sitting inside looking out.
A co-worker had the S500 sedan version. A beautiful car and built like a bank vault. But… the A/C developed a leak that was traced to the Evaporator behind the dash. The dealer quoted almost 6k to remove/replace the dash, replace the Evaporator, evacuate and charge the system. An independent quoted about $4500. The car had about 150k on it, looked like new, drove great but didn’t justify the investment. He sold it for $2500, replaced it with a Grand Marquis he bought for $3500 that was trouble free. Nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes….
Ouch
I bet a $6 can of R-134 every summer would have kept the AC running cold.
I had a car that was in a similar situation, leak was too costly to ever address.
I agree, and that would probably be the best approach unless/until there is a sizeable hole somewhere in the system.
The guy in the first pic with his younger mistress has a somewhat maniacal look on his face. :P
He’s bitter that both she and the car are costing him a fortune to run..!! :)))
She definitely looks more like a secretary than a wife.
It’s interesting that the car in the picture is wearing Stuttgart plates, but doesn’t have the fender-mounted repeater lamp I’d expect to see on a Euro-spec car.
I always liked the “cost no object” Mercedes coupes over the different years. Didn’t care for the convertible/coupes as much.
If I was an oligarch, I had big plans to own one brand new.
I’m sure all of these were nightmares even for dealers to service.
This was probably the last Mercedes built before they had to change the way they made cars to compete with brands like Acura.
I had a 1988 SEC. Beautiful black car with the tan interior. I drove it to the Country Fair outside Eugene and ran into that rare species, a hippie with money. I sloppily threw out a number twice my investment and he said sold! So, to summarize, it drove flawlessly from Lincoln Beach to Springfield and then I rode home in the back. From what I’ve heard since I was lucky. They’re always going to be a great design, but as others have noted not cheap to own when aging.