Having comparable sales figures, obtained from Autotrader, craigslist, ebay, KBB, Edmunds, ads in the newspapers and so on never hurt, nor do extensive service records is a pretty good idea, too. It helps prove the fair market value of the car is what you claim it is.

However, when it is a special interest car, or a rare one, -- and I know EXACTLY what the E500 is!!!---by the way,--- you should SERIOUSLY consider hiring a professional automobile appraiser. Yes, it may actually cost you a few hundreds of dollars to have that done, but the results are usually inarguable, it is like an investment to do that sometimes, that will pay you back far higher than what the appraiser's fee cost.

A guy who owned a body shop and dealt with insurance adjusters (called adjusters because they "adjust" downwards the figures submitted by the policyholders and body shops, told me this a long time ago and I never forgot:

"It is much easier to start our by being really hard nosed and tough, and then easing up a little bit later, than to start out by being a nice guy and getting tougher aas you go along"

Wise advise, and I think it applies to MOST dealings in this life, and not just insurance adjusters.

As to the insurance adjusters, how do I know they are like that?

Because I used to be one of "they."

__________________
1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)