1992 Mercedes Benz 600 SEL!Billionaire Owned! EXCCond! Calif Car!NR!

Description

Ex Alejandro Zaffaroni Mercedes Benz 600 SEL!This no reserve auction is for a very special car indeed. This particular example was owned by silicon valley legendary entrepreneur Alejandro Zaffaroni. Dr. Zaffaroni was a serial inventor and a pioneer in the biotech world. Among his more famous discoveries were the nicotine patch and no less than the birth control pill. This made Dr. Zaffaroni a very rich man, and ultimately, when he sold his company Alza to johnson and johnson in 2001 for 10.5 billion dollars, he reached billionaire status. It is against this backdrop that this car must be considered. One of the main issues many of these 600 Mercedes Benz offerings face as they advance in age is the neglect they receive by owners who cannot afford to care for them properly. This was clearly not the case with Dr. Zaffaroni's 600 SEL. Extensive records in the Mercedes Benz database reveal that this car was serviced often and as needed for preventative maintenance. Perhaps that is why nothing major has ever been done to this car. The powerful engine and transmission are both original to the car, with no rebuilds done or ever needed. The wiring harness was changed at some point, and the wear and tear items done whenever needed. As a result, this car is far superior to most in terms of performance and the high degree or preservedness. It resided in Dr. Zaffaroni's estate in Atherton, California in the garage from 1992 when it was new until after Dr. Zaffaroni's passing in 2015 when his widow decided to part with it. The original paint has benefitted immensely from it's long term garaging and shows very well with few and minor blemishes here and there. There is a crease to the sheet metal right above the front passenger side fender from where I suspect the garage door opening was misjudged. From certain angles, this is not noticeable at all, while from others and up close, it is. So I wanted to mention it to you although I do consider it to be minor. The car is quite robust in power and drives very well. There are no dash lights that stay illuminated during driving at all. Practically everything on this option laden car does work. The exception being that the Bose amplifier needs to be rebuilt at some point. It works now, but when the car is started for the tim, it has to "warm up." By this I mean that for the first 30 minutes of the driving day, it may play only through the left, driver side of speakers and then eventually play through most of the rest. It never does play through rear, left side set, but it still sounds pretty incredible when the other 3 sides are playing.The cost to rebuild the amp is $250. Also, the vacuum pump that controls the self closing doors was recently replaced and that feature was working but in the past 2 months, it stopped. However, the other features that the pump controls still DO work, so not sure what is going on there. Lastly, I am told by my mechanic that the oil pressure needle needs a new sensor to work properly. It, similar to the radio amp, comes on when the car is first started and gives a fairly accurate reading, then after 10 minutes it drops to a lifeless position on the instrument cluster. Other than that, all works as it should, to the best of my knowledge. it is a very complex car, and I may not have tried out everything, but email me and I will be happy to go and try the function you wish to know about. I put new front brake pads on the car 3 days ago had the a/c charged at the same time. Heat is hot and a/c is ice cold. Left side catalytic converter is 2 months old and the car passed California emissions testing with flying colors. Registration is good until August 2018 and smog test should also be good for another 30 days for the transfer of ownership purposes with Calif. DMV. I have all original books, most of the keys (less one of the infrared remotes) and all repair records back to day one are available in the Mercedes benz data base. This car is way too over the top for me to recall every little thing, so if you have a specific concern, please do not hesitate to write me with it, and I will do my best to answer it. This car is a very good speciman of the most powerful horsepower of the 1990's 600's, yet it is 25 years old and if you have realistic expectations for a car of that age, you will be quite pleased with this car, I assure you. Finally, this car is sold as is, where is, and I reserve the right to end the auction early as it is advertised for sale locally. Happy bidding in this NO RESERVE auction.