ONE OF the best saloon cars in the world in the 1970s - and one of the most expensive- was the Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL 6.9.
THIS high performance long-wheelbase limo was built on its own assembly line and was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 1974, being produced between 1975 and 1981 in very limited numbers.
It was one and a half years late due to being postponed by the 1970s oil crisis, but Mercedes carried on regardless in the end and produced a true jewel, even though it cost near £22,000 in the UK - an astronomical price for the time.
This was the flagship of the line and has always been regarded as the ultimate Merc.
Capable of more than 140mph it was among the first vehicles ever produced with optional electronically-controlled anti-lock brakes and also featured the Mercedes excellent self-leveling hydropneumatic suspension as an optional extra.
The 286bhp engine was a cast iron V8 with single overhead camshafts and was hand built. This amazing power unit featured sodium filled valves, similar to those on a piston engined aircraft and each engine was bench tested for 265 minutes – 40 of which were under full load.
It also featured fuel injection and dry-sump lubrication as used on racing cars and all-in-all was a very sophisticated car.
It started to make a name for itself at its press launch because some journalists who tried it on track were surprised to see the maximum speed soar above the stated 140 max to around 150mph, which caused something of a sensation.
These days it would not happen as hyper-performance cars are usually electronically reined in at 155mph. Drivers were also impressed by its 0-62mph acceleration of 7.4 seconds.
Although a little austere and a little cheaper than the Rolls-Royce of the day it was far more expensive than many other luxury cars. It was in fact twice the price of a Jaguar XJ12.
It would horrify environmentalists of today as it only returned around 16mpg but for those who could afford the very best it did not matter one jot.
It soon became the choice of the rich and famous including a number of film stars and statesmen.
A total of 7,380 were built and many survive, maintained to the highest standards as befits one of the best cars ever created.