Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 3.5

Launched in 1965, the imposing 109 Series Mercedes-Benz must have been pretty close to the front of the queue when it came to dishing out road presence. The low waistline exacerbated its impressive girth while aggressive stacked lights and a 'get out of my way' grille certainly meant business - as did the technology packed into the rest of the car.

This particular car is fitted with a 3.5-litre V8 pumping out over 200bhp thanks to its Bosch fuel injection. A 130mph maximum speed on the autobahn, for which it was very well suited, was matched by an ability to sprint to 60mph in just 10 seconds. Self-levelling air suspension gave its passengers a ride like never before and the build quality made granite feel a bit flimsy. The only thing more impressive was the fabled 6.3-litre version with the engine from the massive 600, but in reality the 3.5 was more than adequate.

Dating from 1970, the car has come from long term storage as a stalled restoration project. It was stripped for paintwork and apparently repaired underneath. It then had its colour changed to silver and never quite got put back together. It is believed to be largely complete, although we advise interested parties to satisfy themselves as to the contents of the various boxes supplied with the car prior to bidding.

This is a very worthwhile project, with nice examples of this model now commanding the serious sums of money that such an aristocratic machine deserves.