Mercedes-Benz 500SL

Come on, admit it. Who hasn’t secretly been lusting after one of these fabulously decadent W129 Series Mercs ever since they were launched back in 1989? Impressively expensive when new, they were always the preserve of the international jet set and are most at home devouring huge mileages at great speed on the continental autoroutes. Even the late, great Ayrton Senna had one so they must be pretty good and it seems unbelievable that they have now fallen to such a low level in value.

The flagship of the range, the 500SL marked the debut of Mercedes' four-valve-per-cylinder, dual-overhead V8 powerplants with variable valve timing. Its 4,973cc V8 was credited with 326hp and 332lbft of torque. Reputedly capable of over 150mph and 0-60mph in 6.3 seconds, it was nevertheless a paragon of refinement and could average 24mpg.

Dating from 1991, this particular car has had just three owners from new and has covered only 86,000 miles to date with 12 service stamps in the book – giving an average service interval of just over 7,000 miles. Finished in Astral Silver with a black leather interior it has all the luxuries you would expect of this top-of-the-range model including: factory hardtop with heated rear screen; 4-speed automatic transmission with sport and economy modes; power operated soft top; air conditioning; rear seats; cruise control; electric front seats; headlamp wash wipe; ABS brakes; traction control; heat insulating glass; graduated tint windscreen; power steering; illuminated vanity mirrors; front fog lamps; folding mirrors; heated washer jets and door mirror lenses and a factory-fitted alarm. Currently MOTd and ready to go, it looks huge value at the guide price suggested today.