Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3

In March 1968, Daimler-Benz unveiled the 300 SEL 6.3 at the Geneva Motor Show as a powerful luxury saloon with air suspension. Two years earlier, the then head of test driving, Erich Waxenberger, and his colleagues had had the brilliant idea of transplanting the M100 engine from the 600 into the body of a 300 SEL with a 6-cylinder engine and 170 hp, just to see what it could do.
It turned out to be quite a lot: 250 hp from a 6.3-litre engine, which accelerated the large car to 100 km/h in 7 seconds and only had its aerodynamics come into play at 225 km/h. Contemporary Porsche 911 S drivers, and the odd Ferrari driver too, for example, had to grudgingly admit defeat to the heavyweight from Untertürkheim, whilst the passengers in the 6.3-litre model sat comfortably in air-conditioned, plush leather seats.
The air suspension, tuned for high performance, and the very direct power steering made handling the ‘German hot rod’ – as the Americans called it – a fast yet safe companion on long business trips.
The 300 SEL 6.3 shown here is one such pristine original with an incredible 42,000 km (26,000 mi) on the clock and an interior that is almost as good as new. And thanks to extensive maintenance, its mechanicals are in perfect working order.
Probably one of the best 6.3s still in existence.