by A Record Sum for a Twenty-Year-Old Mercedes
Three hundred thousand dollars for a twenty-year-old Mercedes on Bring a Trailer? It sounds as if two auction participants simultaneously spilled coffee on their keyboards. But this car was far from an ordinary Mercedes.
It was a 2005 Mercedes CL65 AMG — a true sledgehammer with a twin-turbo V12 engine that quietly humbled supercars while looking like a luxury weekend coupe for a banker.
The sale price of $303,303 is 6-10 times higher than the amounts for which other 65-series models sold on the same platform over the past year. The Alabaster White body and Java leather color combination might not have been my first choice, but it likely added to the car’s exclusivity.
However, the main allure was probably the incredibly low mileage — only 5,300 kilometers — and its near-new condition.
The Legendary Powertrain
Under the hood of this car lies the legendary AMG 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 engine. Factory figures were 604 horsepower and 1,000 Nm of torque. In the mid-2000s, these numbers were staggering — this was Ferrari Enzo territory, but without the drama, wings, and price tag over $400,000.
In the mid-2000s, these numbers were staggering — this was Ferrari Enzo territory, but without the drama, wings, and price tag over $400,000.
This doesn’t mean the CL65 was ever cheap. The new car price for this model was $182,280, which, surprisingly, when adjusted for inflation, almost exactly matches this week’s sale price.
The BMW M5 Chaser
I still remember how shocking the sensation of these cars was when they first appeared. Grip at low speeds was a joke, but when the wheels found traction, the CL65 accelerated with such force it felt like falling from the top of a skyscraper.
I still remember how shocking the sensation of these cars was when they first appeared.
Once, I used it to make a BMW M5 E39 on a British road look as if it had hit an aerodynamic wall. The expression on the BMW driver’s face when I effortlessly passed him was priceless.
The Question of Future Value
Is this incredible sale an exception, as some commentators believe, or a solid sign that Mercedes CL65 AMGs are finally getting their due respect as iconic sports cars?
For now, if you’re willing to consider a car with typical mileage around 97,000 kilometers, you can still buy one of these monsters for less than $40,000. But perhaps not for long.
This auction result could become a significant milestone in the collector car market, particularly for powerful grand tourers of the 2000s era. It shows how critical condition and mileage are to the final price, transforming an ostensibly ordinary model into a museum piece. Demand for such rarities grows each year as the number of perfectly preserved specimens rapidly dwindles. This may also prompt owners of other powerful sedans and coupes from that period to reconsider their valuations.
