Description Good solid car from sunny South Africa; much recent expenditure; driven 30 miles to the sale; a beautifully engineered saloon that will outlive all of us! As the Mercedes-Benz dating certificate confirms, this Mercedes 280E was built in Germany in February 1976 as a RHD model destined for the South African market.

Top of the W114 range, the 280E had a fuel-injected 2.8 straight-six twin-cam producing 185bhp which made it good for 0-60mph in 9.9 seconds with a top speed of 124mph.

Looking most handsome in Caledonia Green with a tan leather interior, this car spent its first 42 years in sunny South Africa, hence the excellent state of preservation today.

In February 2018, just before it got exported to the UK, it was treated to a thorough overhaul by Golden Rule Motors of Cape Town which cost the equivalent of £3,500.

The invoice is four pages long and included dozens of new parts: brakes; suspension; steering; cooling; gearbox mountings; service items – you name it, they...