• Recommissioned barn find from long term storage

• Low mileage believed genuine

• Over £4,000 spent on recent overhaul

• New radiator and full service

What have James Hunt, Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna got in common?

The obvious answer, of course, is that they were all Formula One drivers but, in addition to that, the three of them all owned the same type of road car. That car was the Mercedes-Benz SEC, or C126 to give it its code name.

In the 1980s, nothing came close to the SEC for its combination of performance and luxury, making it a highly desirable status symbol that was one of the most cherished cars of the decade that it was gave shoulder pads, yuppies, Dallas and Dynasty.

today, the C126 is a still-classy reminder of those upwardly mobile days and comes from an era of Mercedes-Benz history that’s rapidly gaining in popularity.

first supplied to an owner in Carlisle, Cumbria, this 500 SEC spent most of its life in the British and Scottish Borders. While its earliest history isn't known, it was acquired from its original owner in 1997 with 28,000 miles on the clock and driven only occasionally for the next 14 years before being parked up undercover.

It was discovered covered in filth and bird droppings in 2011 and between then and 2016 was cleaned up and put back on the road by the previous owner who used it very little. It was acquired by the current owner and moved further south last year. Since he acquired it, the vendor has had quite a lot of rectification work done, primarily on tired steering and suspension components.

Whilst the service history is by no means full, there's a fair bit of paperwork available to back up the Mercedes-Benz’s pedigree. These include old MOT certificates and tax discs, along with a handwritten letter from one of the previous keepers speaking about his ownership of the car between 1997 and 2011.

There are also a few receipts from 2016 when the car was first put back on the road and a more comprehensive one from earlier this year where the car had quite a bit of work carried out.

Finished in smart two-tone blue, the SEC has a fairly reserved appearance and certainly isn't over flashy, despite its obvious bulk.

It looks terrific, especially when you consider that the vast majority of it still wears its original 35-year old paint.

There are a couple of areas that will require minor attention in the future. There's some lifting of the paint on the near side rear wheel arch where the car has previously seen some repairs and while this doesn't detract immediately from its appearance, it's worthy of note.

There's also a small hole in the chrome corner piece of the driver’s side front bumper. Amazingly, the bumper blades are still available brand new from Mercedes-Benz and there’s some paperwork in the car documenting the part number, where an earlier owner has evidently looked into this.

There are also a couple of areas of brightwork around the windows that show signs of age but these are by no means major.

Underneath, the car appears to be in fine fettle and the vendor has had it on a ramp to confirmed that it is extremely sound and has not needed any welding. He has also rustproofed it ready for the next keeper. 

While he has had the car, the vendor has also had the alloy wheels refurbished and new tyres fitted all round.

One way of telling whether or not a car’s mileage is genuine is to look closely at the cabin -and in the case of this SEC all of the hallmarks are there to suggest that the 35,000 miles recorded on its odometer are absolutely correct.

The grey leather is still tight and unmarked and the carpets and door cards are in good order, as are the flashes of interior wood.

All of the controls work as they should including the electric windows and electrically operated seat belt holders, which propel themselves forth from behind the seat to offer the belt to the driver before they drive off. It's a clever piece of kit and was state of the art back in 1986. We couldn't get the sunroof to work on test but this could be as trivial as a fuse. There's also a wonderfully retro Nokia mobile phone included, hard wired as a car kit.

A modern stereo system has been fitted, but the vendor is also supplying a genuine Mercedes-Benz radio should the next owner prefer this.

The 5.0-litre V8 Is a Mercedes-Benz stalwart found in many models of the era including the S-Class saloon and the SL sports car.

It's an old school and traditional unit that can trace its roots back to the Sixties, but that's no bad thing. the Mercedes V8 is renowned for its longevity and reliability, so with just 35,000 miles on the clock there shouldn't be much to worry about here. It certainly starts and runs sweetly enough.

Of more relevance is the recent work carried out on the car, which has seen it receive new suspension bushes all round as well as new sub frame mounts and both upper and lower suspension ball joints. At the same time the entire front and rear braking system was renewed with new discs, callipers and brake pipes. 

We were able to take the car for a short test drive and can confirm that it runs very well, engaging all gears smoothly via its automatic transmission, and that the recent suspension work means it feels extremely tight and smooth.

This is a wonderfully complete, taut and solid example of an increasingly rare and desirable 1980s classic coupe.

It is in smart and handsome condition overall and while there are a couple of minor cosmetic areas for the next owner to focus on, as it stands it's a superb car in fine order, with no signs of any rot, a strong engine and the reassurance that much of the running gear has been recently overhauled. 

If it's good enough for Nigel Mansell, it's good enough for us.