It's no secret that values for the W210 AMG have been quickly climbing. As we've searched for these cars over the years (more so than others since one of our founders is a bit obsessed), we've noticed that fewer and fewer are popping up. In addition to low production numbers from the start, the vast majority of these cars were driven by enthusiasts who fell in love with the car. Now, those cars are found with 200k miles or more and in need of some major restoration. Obviously, rust is always a main pain point for these cars but normal wear and tear also can kill them as we've seen. This 1999 E55 AMG has managed to avoid that fate and now resides in Naples, FL with only 54k miles.
The first thing to catch our eye is the color. Finished in Black Opal Metallic, the E55 is most commonly found in Black or Silver. The paint appears to be extremely well-kept in photos although no up close pictures are provided. We also see that the car appears to be sitting slightly lower than a typical E55 which is most likely due to the fact this is a European version. Euro specs came with slightly lower ride height than their US counterparts. As a 1999 model, this is the last year before the facelift versions in 2000. While the general consensus says that the facelift models are more attractive and desirable, the 1999 is far more rare and feels much closer to the W124 which we think has value.
Only two pictures are provided of the interior showing the car has a full Anthracite Leather interior. Aside from confirming the gauge cluster is in kilometers, there's not much else that can be seen. The woodgrain still seems rich in color without fading and the seats show very minimal wear. Aftermarket floor mats can be seen as well which we'd like to see swapped for an OEM set.
The original listing is extremely vague and leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Such as, how did this car get imported and titled as a 1999? Also, no mention of previous maintenance is given. The ad does state that the car was first imported in 2001 so we'd love to know more. The seller states the car was a one owner for over 21 years so we can only assume he's the second owner who has bought the car to flip. Notably, the ad claims the car has no accidents and no rust which are both important when considering value. The asking price for this grey market E55 is currently set at $30,000. It's likely one of very few grey market E55s currently stateside and both mileage and color are going in it's favor. With the consistently climbing values of w210 AMGs, the seller may not be as far off as one may initially think.
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