Mercedes 500 GE V8 1993: price, history and why low mileage wasn't enough

© rmsothebys.com

Low mileage didn’t leave this Mercedes G-Class untouched by time. A bespoke 1993 500 GE V8, first owned by Saudi Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, sold at an RM Sotheby’s auction for $148,500. The odometer showed 24,254 km, but the SUV still needed mechanical work before the sale.

According to the auction house, Mercedes and AMG built just 446 examples of this V8 model. The five-door SUV came with a 4.97-litre V8 producing 237 hp. The prince’s example was finished in the special-request shade of Avantgarde Verde, and received a wider track and larger wings to fit the AMG wheels.

The car was completed on 28 July 1993, but wasn’t registered in Saudi Arabia until February 1994. The lot is even listed as a 1994 model in the paperwork. That doesn’t change the actual build date, but it matters to a collector checking that the VIN, registration and factory specification all line up.

In 2025, the Obsessive Car Workshop in Jeddah replaced the brake fluid, fixed an oil leak near the front axle, repaired the heater, and serviced the climate control system, fuel pump, filter and differential. That list is understandable for a car this age, but it shows that low mileage alone doesn’t guarantee a clean bill of health.

So the price wasn’t just about mechanical condition. The buyer paid for a documented first owner, a bespoke configuration and the rarity of the version — preserved history mattered here more than complete mechanical originality.