It is considered the car collection par excellence! We’re talking about the fleet of vehicles used by the Brunei royal family. Between the 1980s and the early 2000s, the Sultan and his brother Prince Jefri created what is arguably the largest car collection in the world. A collection about which there are many myths. The royal collection is rumored to contain between 3,000 and 7,000 cars and motorcycles, including an initial ten McLaren F1s (also one of only three F1 GTs built), several Bugatti EB110s and numerous models specially made for the sultan, such as the Ferrari FX or the Bentley Dominator. The rumored value: several billion euros!
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Most of the vehicles are still in Brunei today. From time to time, however, individual vehicles can escape from the mysterious collection. Like this special Mercedes 600 SL with just 2461 kilometers on the clock.
The sultan is said to own over 500 Mercedes
In addition to their passion for super sports cars, the sultan and his brother are said to have a very special soft spot for Mercedes. It is said that more than 500 Mercedes were parked in the royal garages at weddings – of course only the top models, of course. This also includes the Mercedes 600 SL (called SL 600 from 1993) of the 129 series, of which the sultan is said to have owned several.
All original: with the hardtop, the SL mutates into a coupé. The eight-hole rims are also original.
One of them will be auctioned at “Historics Auctioneers” in Great Britain on May 21st. The roadster was factory-painted in the BMW color “Violet Blue Metallic” and, in combination with the black leather interior, is said to be an absolute one-off. In addition, the big Benz has only been driven 2461 kilometers in the last 29 years – one of the problems when you own several thousand cars.
The Mercedes 600 SL was imported in 2021
After 28 years in the royal collection, the right-hand drive 600 SL was imported to Great Britain in 2021, where it was extensively repaired at Mercedes after a long period of inactivity and given a new TÜV approval (called MOT in UK). Visually, the 600 SL, which is offered with a matching hardtop, makes an excellent impression. The paint is not faded and the interior is also in top condition.
Hard to believe: After 29 years, there are just 2461 kilometers on the clock. That corresponds to an annual mileage of less than 90 kilometers.
Under the hood of the roadster is the 6.0-liter V12 (M 120), which delivers 394 hp and 570 Nm maximum torque to the rear wheels via a four-speed automatic (from 1995 with a five-speed automatic). Country road speed is reached after 6.1 seconds and the top speed is said to be 250 km/h. Nevertheless, the R 129 is not a sports car, but rather a luxurious cruiser. Simply open the electric top and listen to the fine V12 sound.
Big thing: The huge 6.0-liter V12 fills the engine compartment of the SL well. The performance is given as 394 hp.
The exterior color “Violet Blue Metallic” is certainly not to everyone’s taste, but at the latest the extremely low mileage in connection with the royal past should make this 600 SL interesting for collectors. The experts give the estimated price at the equivalent of 53,500 to 70,000 euros (45,000 to 60,000 British pounds). For comparison: In Germany, the cheapest 600 SL/600 SL of the 129 series starts at around 20,000 euros. Really good copies cost around 40,000 euros. But it can also be even more expensive: A red SL 600 with a mileage of less than 2000 kilometers is currently being offered in Germany, which is said to cost a whopping 139,000 euros and that without a special colour. In comparison, the ex-Brunei-SL could almost be a bargain!
