Mercedes-Benz 500SE Saloon

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Built in an era when Mercs still made granite feel a bit flimsy, the W126 S-Class 500SEL was the flagship saloon of the Stuttgart range and was regarded as the best car in the world in the 1980s. 

It pioneered safety features that we now take for granted such as air bags, anti-lock brakes, seatbelt pretensioners, computer designed crumple zones and traction control. Six years in development, it was also lighter and sleeker than its W116 predecessor with 10% better economy. With 295bhp and 336lb/ft of pulling power, its natural habitat was howling down the fast lane of the autobahn at up to 150mph.

A monument to Teutonic engineering excellence, it remained in production for 12 years and no Eighties big shot would be seen in anything less. All the more amazing then that you can now pick one up for not much more than the price of a clapped out family hatchback.

This 1984 example has been in the current family ownership for the last 22 years and has always been very well cared for as the large file of service records, bills and old MOT certificates will attest. Always in regular use it has clocked up some 149,000 miles to date which is nothing for one of these big, unstressed V8s.

Presented in blue with a beige leather interior, it is said to be in generally good condition all round and to drive as it should. Taxed and tested until July, it is ready to drive away today. Luxury motoring doesn’t come much cheaper than this.
 

PS: This car was driven over 100 miles to the sale and is said to have run beautifully.