Mercedes-Benz 600 SEL (W140)

The Mercedes-Benz 600 SEL presents an unusual contradiction in a 600-car catalogue: it ranks 581st for top speed, yet it sits apart as the least expensive V12 car in the collection. That mismatch reveals a machine whose appeal is not built around chasing headline performance figures, but around the character of its specification. With a naturally aspirated 5,980 cc V12, rear-wheel drive and 580 Nm of torque, the 600 SEL occupies a distinct corner of the luxury category.

The numbers make the contrast clear. Its 402 bhp places it 417th out of 600 cars, within the top 70 per cent for power, while its 0-100 km/h time of 6 seconds is faster than 59 cars in the catalogue. Those results are modest beside the outright pace of many cars available to collectors, but they sit alongside a configuration shared by only 90 cars in the catalogue: a V12 engine layout. Narrow that further to naturally aspirated V12 cars and the group falls to 54, with just 68 pairing a V12 with RWD. The 600 SEL is defined by that combination rather than by a single performance ranking.

Its place in the collection is also shaped by accessibility. At a used price of £28,000, it ranks 529th of 600 for cost, making it more expensive than 71 cars while remaining the least expensive V12 car in the catalogue. With a cost per bhp of £70, it offers a direct connection between large-capacity luxury engineering and a price point that sits below every other V12 entry. Mercedes-Benz contributes 10 cars to the catalogue, and this 600 SEL represents one of the clearest expressions of its luxury category.

The trade-off for a collector is straightforward. The 600 SEL does not deliver the highest top speed or the strongest performance ranking among 600 choices. Instead, it asks for space alongside cars chosen for faster acceleration, greater power or sharper statistics, in exchange for the presence of a naturally aspirated V12 luxury sedan with rear-wheel drive. Choosing this car means accepting that its significance comes from the balance of its numbers, not from winning every comparison. In a dream garage, it becomes the car selected when a collection needs a different kind of statement.