2010 Mercedes-Benz E350 CDI AMG Sport

This one-owner car has a rather interesting history behind it. The current owner is a serial Mercedes collector, particularly SL models across all generations – one of which The Market has previously sold.

With an enlarging family, the seller needed a more everyday car with four seats and didn't need much convincing that the then-new E Class convertible would be the right car for the job. Of course as something of a Mercedes aficionado, the car was future-proofed with an array of options and specified with the most flexible engine choice available with the full extensive options list costing nearly £8,500.00 shown below

Diamond White Paint

Flemenco Red Leather

Reversing Camera

Comfort Ventilated Front Seats

DAB Radio

Surround Sound System

Command Navigation

Memory Front Seats

Air Scarf

18" Wheels

To add a special touch, he went over to Germany to collect the car from the factory and immediately set about a tour of Europe and Scandinavia before bringing it back to the UK for its first registration here in June 2010.

That's far from the only continental jaunt that car and owner have enjoyed, with a manufacturer trip to Le Mans the following year on which he should have taken the Audi R8 he'd just sold in order to buy the E350.

As part of a Mercedes fleet, the car has been regularly serviced alongside the owner's more classically collectible vehicles, but treated to the same care and attention. He had hoped to pass the car on to his son, but with the petrolhead gene skipping a generation and the fleet now exceeding the storage space available, it's time for a second owner to enjoy the car.

Despite the coupe's lower drag coefficient, the cabriolet is often held up as the better-looking car; that CLS-like roofline and C-pillar are absent with the folding fabric roof up, and with it down and stowed there's a stylish pair of seat back buttresses on the deck lid. Both share the pillarless profile and frameless windows.

The rest of the car is pure E Class, sporting the pre-facelift split-rhomboid headlights and the badge-in-grille front that the W212 would adopt following its 2013 update. It's difficult not to spot the clear family ties in details such as that streamliner-style rear-wheel arch bulge which flows into the rear end rather than curving back towards the ground.

As part of the extensive options selected by the owner, the car is finished in pearlescent Diamond White, a high quality paint from the “Designo” range. It's a colour which changes with the light conditions, appearing largely white when it's darker outside but with impressive depth and golden flashes in more direct sunlight, and has benefitted from regular paint protection.

The paint shows off the lines well and is almost entirely unblemished except for a small door crease on the passenger side seemingly caused by an errant door; the paint is unbroken and it's difficult to spot even in the pictures.

It contrasts with the black fabric roof, which is in excellent condition throughout and has never been repaired or replaced – and has also been subject to a regular protective coating. Mercedes designed the roof to be waterproof, windproof, and sufficiently acoustically insulated to allow for normal conversation at up to 124mph.

The optional 18-inch AMG wheels are also in close to factory condition, and have never been kerbed or repaired, and the E350 also has a space-saver spare.

Of course with a convertible car, the interior is also the exterior, and thankfully the owner picked an excellent shade to show it off. All four seats, and the doorcards, are trimmed with AMG Flamenco Red leather, creating a great visual contrast with the white body.

The front seats are comfort ventilated items, with both heating and cooling functions available, as well as eight-way electronic adjustment with memory function. They also feature the AIRSCARF system, which gently blows warm air onto occupants' necks to reduce chilling caused by outflow of air from the cabin with the roof down.

There's a few signs of wear appropriate to the mileage, mostly on the driver's seat external bolster – associated with ingress and egress – and a little fraying on the outer corner of one of the AMG floor mats, but no significant damage, tears, or cuts. Unlike many four-seat convertibles, the rear seats are actually usable for humans and appear to be in great condition.

Although the car is a little over 12 years old, the technology on board is still impressive by today's standards. As well as front and rear parking sensors, there's a reversing camera tied into the COMAND 4 head unit. That also displays the navigation system and houses a DAB receiver too, as well as feeding audio to the Harman Kardon sound system. As far as we can tell, everything works just as it should, and the owner reports no problems of any kind.

The A207's boot is somewhat smaller than its coupe sibling due to a need to store that roof; both are 390 litres, but the top occupies 90 litres of that when stowed away. It's still a decent size but you'll need to manage what you're putting in there – no tall items! However it's in generally excellent condition, including the spare beneath the boot floor and original toolkit.

There's no AMG engines on the A/C207, making the potent E500 V8 the top petrol engine in the range. However for usable real-world power and economy the E350 CDI is probably the pick of the bunch, with plenty of power from the 3.0-litre V6 – 228hp and 398lbft – but also a range of efficiency measures.

That results in an on-paper fuel economy of 39mpg combined, despite being able to hit 60mph in 6.5 seconds, and a theoretical range of over 550 miles. Indeed the fuel economy is something the current owner highlights from his experience on various road trips.

There's never been any mechanical issues reported with the engine, the seven-speed 7G Tronic auto gearbox, or indeed any of the car's important, greasy components. The car presents very well under the bonnet, and is free from any obvious issues underneath too; it's clearly been used but with no leaks, spots, or general crustiness beneath it looks remarkably clean for its age.

The only issues reported have been a puncture, and a squeaking roof mechanism which was addressed almost as soon as the car first landed in the UK.

As this is a one-owner car, and that owner is particularly fastidious about servicing, care, and maintenance, the history folder is essentially a complete life history of the vehicle. There's invoices for every job big and small from the original supplying dealer, Sinclair Group Mercedes of Swansea, as well as MOTs and the V5C with the important “no previous owners” declaration.

Any convertible Mercedes is something of an event, and this particular one is a little more so. It has all the right options ticked, including ideal choices for interior and exterior finish, and remains in standard form. Aside from the fact the head unit has physical buttons instead of a touch screen, you could mistake it for a brand new car on a Mercedes forecourt today.

It's had a remarkable life as a day-to-day car in a remarkable collection, racking up 30,000 miles in 12 years – enough to say it's broken in now, but nowhere near the trouble-free mileage of which it's capable.

The original owner is only looking to move the car on through lack of space in his collection, and nearly changed his mind after dropping it off at The Market's HQ. In his words, whoever places the winning bid will be getting “the bargain of the century”.

We estimate this car to fetch between £12,000 - £15,000 in auction.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.