This is one of the first armoured Mercedes w116 units that the Spanish Parque Móvil Ministerial (Ministerial Vehicle Pool) acquired for the Royal Household and Presidency of the Government in 1976. (The previously purchased units were not armoured, but most were armoured after the arrival of this 1976 unit). In this case, several units of the model 450 SEL 6.9 were purchased, some of them with rear sunroof. The cars were armoured by a company named Armalite Ltd. in the UK, a company of which King Juan Carlos I’s brother-in-law, King Constantine of Greece, was a shareholder. This car was registered with the internal PMM-16514 number plate, and over the years it used several number plates, among which was the ‘reserved number plate’ M-6357-BU. As it is impossible to recover the original (reserved) number plate from Madrid, there was no option but registering the car as a Historic Vehicle in order to be able to drive it nowadays. Therefore, the car went directly from PMM-16514 to the historic H4381BBC. The car still has both of its original PMM-16514 number plates (see photos). We are attaching documents from the Spanish road administration (DGT) that include this car’s chassis number 116036-12-001721. Never registered before with a ‘definitive’ number plate, an usual practice for PMM vehicles in those years. This car was part of a 4-unit lot acquired by 2 collectors in 2004. The lot consisted of two units of the 450 SEL 6.9 model (the other one was already auctioned by Catawiki two years ago), one 450 SE and one 450 SEL. The unit offered here is the best preserved one and the one that this collector had kept for himself. The car was always maintained sparing no expenses, as all attached invoices prove. Works done: new alternator, new starter engine, new K-jetronic injection head, new petrol pump, disassembly and cleaning of the armoured fuel tank, replacement of the front levelling valve of the air suspension, seat belts installed in the rear seats, new air conditioning compressor, conversion to R134 and new drying filter. Most works in this car were done at the official Mercedes-Benz (Cars Barcelona SA) dealership. In order to improve its appearance, the vehicle was repainted in 2008 in its original 931 Magnetitblau metallic colour, including dismantling of all window rubbers and replacing of most of the outer window rubbers and trims, as well as a large amount of the outer chrome plating. Regarding the use of the vehicle when it was at the service of the Parque Móvil Ministerial (PMM), it is known that this one was assigned to the Royal House vehicle pool, being of its many documented uses that of accompanying the monarchs in their trips throughout Spain at the beginning of their reign. We are including several links to TVE (Spanish public TV) videos where you can see this car: www.rtve.es/alacarta/videos/documentales-color/reyes-espana-palencia/2825995/ www.rtve.es/alacarta/videos/documentales-color/reyes-espana-zamora/2825931/ www.rtve.es/alacarta/videos/documentales-color/visita-real-badajoz/2826996/ www.rtve.es/alacarta/videos/documentales-color/visita-real-cuenca/2826024/ www.rtve.es/alacarta/videos/documentales-color/reyes-espana-caceres/2825898/ After the arrival of the more modern Mercedes 500 SEL models in 1981/82, 450 SEL (6.9) models were relegated to secondary functions, such as taking the then-Prince Felipe to school (confirmed by one of his drivers) or protocol services. One of the most notable protocol services of this PMM-16514 car, and also very well documented, is that this was the car that had to take the Belgian delegation to the signature of the Treaty of Accession of Spain and Portugal to the EEC on 12th June 1985. www.rtve.es/alacarta/videos/informe-semanal/informe-semanal-25-anos-firma-del-tratado-adhesion-espana-cee/788414/ This vehicle can be seen with its number plates PMM-16514 leaving Barajas Airport with the Belgian delegation, as well as in front of Ritz Hotel in Madrid or heading to the Spanish Royal Palace It is known that this car was later used at the Peace Conference for the Middle East in Madrid in 1991, and for protocol services in Barcelona city, until the end of its service in 1999. NOTE 1: As a curiosity, the order of the car appears as done in England (country code 537), but Produktions-Auftrags mentions that the order of the sliding sunroof at the back was made to MEVOSA-Spanien (country code 577). NOTE 2: This vehicle is in excellent condition, its air suspension is functional and does not go down after several months, etc., but the future buyer will have to upholster the interior, which is still the original one. For this purpose, the car comes with 11 metres of plain blue velour and 3 metres of striped blue velour fabric to upholster the interior like the original one. The car also includes a new blue dashboard bought at Mercedes-Benz. The car is located in Barcelona, Spain. Offers do not include transport or export, unless otherwise indicated.