Mercedes-Benz S600 (W221) | Spotted

In the world of the electric vehicle, and with prices for all cars apparently rising inexorably, depreciation is a hotter topic than ever before. Great news for those buying, or those merely pondering, because there are never-before-seen discounts out there – and nearly new deals that need to be seen to be believed. 

But with all the focus on EV residual values plummeting, it’s taken the focus away from what used to be depreciation royalty: the super saloon. A staple of bargain barge threads, SOTW discussions and many a man maths calculation, the appeal of the fast four-door at a fraction of its new cost was plain for all to see: palatial luxury, supersonic speed, space for all the family and the purchase price of a supermini. The running costs of a naval fleet, too, but nothing ventured, nothing gained… 

Combine the chatter around EV depreciation (especially when it comes to the practical, performance-focused ones, actually) with a move away from saloons to SUVs and it can feel like there’s less interest in the traditional bargain barge. But not around these parts, especially not when this a Mercedes S-Class this good around for £15,000. 

With a new model announced recently, it’s inevitable that the old ones have been sought out in the classifieds. It happens with all fresh metal, but especially with those cars that start out at so much money and end up at so little. In fact, you might even be thinking that £15k looks like quite a lot for a 20-year-old S-Class, but this isn’t any old Mercedes luxury car. It’s an S600, which means a turbocharged 5.5-litre V12, the kind of powerplant that’s now reserved only for very exclusive Benzes. It’s not going to be in the new S-Class, put it that way. Hasn’t been there for a while, actually. And it’s exactly the kind of engine that makes old saloons hugely tempting. 

This is no high-mile hack, either. This W221 is a one-owner-from-new minter, with just over 60,000 miles, loads of Mercedes stamps in the history and a fault-free MOT into 2027. Once upon a time, somebody specced this long-wheelbase S600 like an absolute champ, with Travertine Beige paint, Sahara Beige and Black Nappa leather, radar cruise, a pano roof, the AMG wheels and more. In 2006, it was optioned up to £113,000, or very nearly £200,000 in today’s money. It was one of the most luxurious cars in the world back then, and is surely still going to be glorious company now. 

Ruinously expensive as well, at 19mpg, but which bargain barge has cost a pittance to run? Exactly. This is par for the course. It’s seemingly been cared for as well as any S-Class could be, and there’s always going to be buyer interest, surely, in a V12 Mercedes as the engine becomes ever more seldom seen. For the price of some of the cheapest new EVs out there, what a fantastic celebration of whisper-quiet combustion an old S600 looks.

Engine: 5,513cc, turbocharged V12
Transmission: 5-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 517@5,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 612@1,900-3,500rpm
MPG: 19.8
CO2: 340g/km
Year registered: 2006
Recorded mileage: 61,895
Price new: £113,000
Yours for: £15,995