Mercedes-Benz 250SE Saloon (W108)

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‘Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes-Benz?’ Launched in 1965, the impressive stacked-headlamp W108 series S-Class saloon was the-top-of-the-range Mercedes of the late 1960s and early ‘70s, conferring instant status on the person behind the wheel.

Hailed by contemporary motoring journalists as the finest luxury car in the world, it was built to a standard that humbled rival manufacturers, setting a benchmark of hewn-from-solid engineering excellence that has not been surpassed to this day. Exuding restrained Teutonic gravitas, it was a car to be taken seriously, a car to last a lifetime.

Supplied new by Denham Motor Sales Ltd to Mr CW Mitchell Esq of Stony Green Hall, Prestwood, Bucks in June 1966, PPP 360D did indeed last a lifetime, being kept by Mr Mitchell right up until his death in 2004. It was then inherited by his housekeeper and has had just two further keepers since. It has covered only 76,200 miles to date with a vast amount of history to show meticulous upkeep over the years, the bills on file amounting to some £40,000 and the service book containing 22 stamps up to 66,518 miles in November 1991, virtually all at main agents, equating to a service every 3,000 miles.

In 1992 it was treated to a major overhaul and a full repaint in the original Blue Green at Rivervale Mercedes of Reading which cost £12,248 and included the fitment of a stainless steel exhaust. A 250SE model, it has the 2.5-litre fuel-injected straight-six petrol engine which produced a healthy 150bhp and could propel the car to 60mph in 12 seconds on its way to a top speed of 120mph.

Still in lovely condition today, it has been maintained regardless of cost and comes with all its original handbooks, a workshop manual, lubrication chart, many old MOTs and enough invoices to keep the new owner happily engrossed for hours. Low mileage, few owners, impressive history – this S-Class ticks all the right boxes and will doubtless outlive us all.