Mercedes-Benz 560SEC

Launched in 1981 and staying in production until 1992, the W126 series of Mercedes pillarless coupes - or SECs, as they are known - rapidly achieved a cult following. Massively well built, elegant and authoritative with great street presence, demand so far exceeded supply that a thriving grey market grew up to cope. Today there are any number of websites devoted to the upkeep of these sleek looking uber-cruisers worldwide.

Available in 380, 420, 500 and 560 versions, the SEC was packed with novel technical and luxury options. These included airbags, traction control, ABS, electric seatbelts, courtesy lights on the underside of the doors and powered heated seats with a memory function. Although many of these features are commonplace today, they seemed like science fiction in the early 1980s and it’s no wonder that the W126 was voted ‘Safest car in the world’ at launch. Cream of the crop was undoubtedly the 560SEC which was powered by a magnificent 5.6-litre 16-valve V8 that produced 275bhp and 317 lb/ft of torque – sufficient for a 0-60 sprint in just 7 seconds and a top speed of 150mph. Amazingly, in fully specified form the 560 cost twice as much as the 500SEC when new!

Looking especially moody in Blue Black with a black leather interior, this particular 560SEC was first registered in March 1989 and has covered only 105,000 miles since then (a mere stroll in the park for one of these engines). Always properly maintained, it has no fewer than 16 service stamps to date (giving an average service interval of just 6,500 miles), 13 of which are from Mercedes main agents. It is packed with special features including heated orthopedic seats, limited slip diff, air bag and air conditioning. Said to be in excellent condition and to drive superbly with a long MOT and tax, this is a very desirable motorcar that offers incredible value for money and will always turn heads wherever it goes.