Mercedes-Benz S350 Turbo Diesel

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Ten years and over $1bn in development time and costs, the W140 Series Mercedes was finally launched in 1991 and introduced innovations such as double-pane window glazing, power-assisted closing for doors and boot lid, electric windows which lowered back down upon encountering an obstruction, sonar-assisted parking and a heating system which, if desired, continued to emit warm air after the engine was turned off.

For details like this, the W140 is often known as the last Mercedes to be 'over-engineered', a Mercedes trait that was costing the company in product delays and overbudgeting. Available as either a saloon or a coupe, it came with a choice of petrol engines ranging from a 2.8-litre straight-six to a mighty 6-litre V12 and a 3-litre turbo diesel option which was only available in LHD.

A larger more powerful 3.5-litre turbocharged unit soon made its appearance, giving a useful 148bhp and 229lb/ft of torque (as fitted to this car). The W140 was one of the most successful large luxury car ranges ever produced, with over 20,500 S350s finding customers, the quirky diesel attracting a world-wide cult following to this day.

This 1994 example has covered some 279,000 kms (174,000 miles) which is a mere walk in the park for one of these engineering masterpieces. Offered in LHD of course, it is MOTd until January 2015 and is reputed to drive well with the exception that on occasions it goes into limp-home mode, a fault which has never been investigated by the vendor. It is being sold with its personalised registration number H93 CUT.