1985 Mercedes 500 SEL Armoured Car
No Reserve - Supplied new to the Fayed family

Registration No: B807 CGO
Chassis No: 12603712030052
MOT: Exempt

• First owned and used by the Fayed family until acquired by the vendor in 2023
• Understood to have been shipped to the Ritz Paris during the early 1990s
• Displaying just over 39,000km (24,200 miles) believed to be genuine

“Its effect is almost druglike, and anyone who appreciates fine automobiles will want one fix after another.”—Car and Driver, July, 1987

Introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, 1979, the new W126 S-class was a quantifiable improvement over its W116 predecessor. Lauded by the contemporary motoring press as the “best car in the world,” it was lighter than its forebear and offered an improved ride and sharper handling. Styled by Bruno Sacco, its sleek silhouette hid all-round independent suspension, disc brakes, power-assisted steering and a range of powerful all-alloy V8 engines (later supplemented by more fuel-efficient straight-sixes). Beloved by heads of state, captains of industry and celebrities alike, the W126 remains sought-after to this day thanks to its impeccable build quality and timeless lines. The 500 SEL was the range-topping example until the introduction of the 560 SEL in 1985. The V8-engined 500 had double timing chains, proving much more reliable than the 380 V8’s single.

As Mercedes’ flagship Saloon, it should be no surprise that the 500 SEL attracted numerous high-profile customers, nor that some were built to special orders. This example claims both celebrity ownership and a bespoke specification, for the first owners were none other than the Fayed family. Perhaps the most internationally prominent Egyptians since the abdication of King Farouk, the Fayeds owned Harrods from 1985 to 2010. They ordered the 500 SEL with armoured bodywork, a privilege reserved for very select clients. The armoured W126s were built at a special production facility in Sindelfingen to individual specifications, and with no standard price list.

Features of the armoured SELs included wheels designed to withstand greater axle loads, side blasts and gunfire. The wheel rims and tyres were integral, the Continental CTS-1s having reinforced walls and a higher grade of rubber so they could retain their shape in the event of being blown out. Since anyone paying for bulletproof panels could afford luxury, almost all armoured W126s were specified with velour interiors. The Fayed Mercedes was opulently finished in White with Blue velour upholstery, and inch-thick shaded privacy glass. It retains original fittings including a P.A.-intercom system, passenger window curtains, and assorted security devices.

The Fayeds acquired the car in February, 1985, and a 1987 insurance document reveals that the film-maker Dodi Al-Fayed, best-known for his romance with Princess Diana, was listed as a named driver. A security memorandum suggests that, by 1991, the Mercedes was kept at the Ritz in Paris, which was also Fayed-owned, and it has been confirmed that it provided personal transport in St. Tropez. While often used outside of Britain, the Mercedes was M.O.T.’d almost annually between 1996 and 2023, when it was sold out of the family to our vendor. In 2020, it was entrusted to Godstone Mercedes for new A.B.S. sensors and repairs to the exhaust, and is now offered for sale as a real collector’s piece which displays just over 40,000 km (24,200 miles) on its odometer.

For more information, please contact:
Lucas Gomersall
lucas.gomersall@handh.co.uk
07484 082430