From luxurious cabriolets of the Swinging Sixties and Group A homologation racers of the nineties to go-anywhere sports utility vehicles and game-changing supercars, the breadth and depth of the Mercedes-Benz back catalogue is truly something to behold. Whatever Mercedes-Benz means to you, you’re sure to find something to tickle your fancy from The Mirage Collection, an impressive group of Mercedes-Benzes that will go under the hammer in our brand-new online-only sale Shift Online: Europe and Middle East taking place from 23-28 April.

2006 Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet

Mercedes-Benz had played a key role in DTM racing since the mid-1980s, enjoying some success before the series collapsed under the weight of costs and political infighting. It was, however, a very popular series, with some rounds of the championship proving to be more popular than the German Grand Prix. When DTM eventually returned in 2000, the series re-appeared with Audi, Opel, and Mercedes-Benz locking horns. It was an immediate success, and in the first four years, Mercedes-Benz took home the manufacturers’ championship each time, with Bernd Schneider taking the drivers’ title three times.

To celebrate, Mercedes-Benz announced 100 CLK DTM AMG 100 coupés, all wearing a racing-car aping body kit and fitted with a 574 brake-horsepower supercharged 5.4-litre V-8 engine paired with a 5G-Tronic automatic gearbox. The car could hit 62 mph in just 3.9 seconds, topping out at a very respectable 199 mph. However, perhaps the underlying metric was its 516 pound-feet torque figure, 86 per cent of which is fully available from 2,000 rpm. Power oversteer, anyone? Why yes indeed…

To rein in all that fury, the car also featured a multi-plate limited-slip differential, a stiffer rear anti-roll bar, adjustable springs and dampers, recalibrated stability and traction control systems, and much beefier brake discs with six-piston calipers up front, and four-pot items at the rear. The engine, derived from that in the SL55 AMG of the time, benefitted from modified cam timing, more boost, a stiffer crankcase, and a revised exhaust system.

It was a massively in-demand car and sold out almost immediately, with famous owners including Jenson Button, Kimi Räikkönen, and Takuma Sato, while the likes of Juan Pablo Montoya, Mika Häkkinen and, it is rumoured, Wayne Rooney, picking up one of 80 Cabriolet versions released in 2006.

Offered from the care of its first and only owner, this example is estimated to fetch between $500,000-$600,000.

1971 Mercedes-Benz 280 SL

Though the 300 SL Gullwing and Roadster had done much to elevate the image of Mercedes-Benz, their high price had always restricted sales. The 190 SL, meanwhile, was almost as beautiful, but lacked the performance to match. Plans to replace both cars with one SL had been on the cards since 1955, but technical difficulties meant that a new SL wouldn’t appear until 1963, using a shortened W 111 platform and a drivetrain from the W 112. When it made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in 1963 it was a sensation, but as time went on it was clear that the future of the SL lay in increased luxury.

By far the biggest market was the USA, which would end up accounting for half of all 280 SLs sold. The M180 inline six was upgraded to 2.8-litres, providing 168 horsepower and a noticeable improvement of torque. Each engine was bench-tested for two hours before installation, making

sure they were built to last. The automatic gearbox option became very popular, with just 882 manuals out of 23,885 SLs built being so equipped. It soon became the car to have for the international Jet Set, and it remains to this day, with the likes of Juan Manuel Fangio, Kate Moss, Priscilla Presley, John Travolta, Sophia Loren, and Peter Ustinov all owning 280 SLs.

You can join that illustrious list for somewhere between $80,000-$120,000.

2007 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition

Mercedes-Benz’s collaboration with McLaren in Formula One had proved very fruitful, bagging two drivers’ titles and a Constructors’ Championship in 1998 and 1999. It was during the latter year that the incredible Vision SLR Concept wowed crowds at the North American International Auto Show, receiving such a reception that it simply had to be built.

While Mercedes-Benz was responsible for the outward design of the SLR, McLaren—led by Gordon Murray—took care of the engineering. The stunning super-GT was both a styling and mechanical triumph, with truly epic performance from its 5.4-litre supercharged V-8 engine.

As a final flourish to SLR production, the 722 edition was launched in 2006 referencing the starting number of Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson at the Mille Miglia in 1955. Modifications included 19-inch alloy wheels to reduce unsprung mass, stiffer dampers, a 10-millimetre ride height drop, and larger front brakes. Aesthetic changes included tinted taillights and headlamps, bespoke trim, and a revised front air dam and rear diffuser. Power soared from 617 horsepower to 641 horsepower, while torque hit 605 pound-feet, up from 575 pound-feet. As a result, a 722 edition could hit 209 mph, having flicked past 62 mph in 3.6 seconds. Just 150 were built.

Offered from its first and only owner, this stunning example is estimated at $600,000-$700,000.

1969 Mercedes-Benz 280 SE Cabriolet

For some, few cars epitomise the Mercedes-Benz lifestyle quite like a W 111 Cabriolet. The Paul Bracq-penned lines offer the perfect combination of presence and elegance, and a timeless style that has never gone out of fashion.

The 280 SE was introduced in 1967 with the new M130 2.8-litre straight-six engine. Good for 160 horsepower, the new model marked a sharp increase in accelerative force, bringing the 0-62-mph dash down to 10.5 seconds, or 13 seconds with an automatic gearbox.

However, planting the throttle with such force seems almost wrong; after all, this is a car to enjoy in the smoothest way possible. Doing so allows the driver to take in the wood veneer option on the dashboard, if it is so-fitted, and minor trim improvements.

Our car, which has covered 27,680 miles, is estimated between $175,000 to $250,000.

1994 Mercedes-Benz 500 E

The W 124 range represented the mid-range executive step on the ladder of Mercedes-Benz ownership. But as one of the most exciting variants, the 500 E was much more than a middle management cruiser. Instead, it was co-produced with Porsche, and part-assembled in the old 959 production facility. Under the bonnet lay the naturally aspirated 5.0-litre M119 V-8, an engine so potent enough that it put the 500 E within kissing distance of beating a Ferrari Testarossa to 60 mph.

With an impressive 322 horsepower on tap and taking just 6.1 seconds to reach 62 mph, the 500 E was properly quick—but it was much more than simply an engine transplant. In order to accommodate the new V-8 the chassis had to be modified, with wider front wings added to cater for a track that was now 38-millimetres broader than standard.

Launched at around the same time as other super-saloons such as the Alpina B10 Biturbo and Lotus Carlton, the 500 E was a far more luxurious offering; it was a car defined by its mid-range grunt, effortless autobahn overtakes, and high-end finishing. The 500 E is one of those cars you just have to experience, and when you do, you don’t soon forget. But don’t just take our word for it—ask Rowan Atkinson, who regretted selling his example so much that he just had to have another.

With this example set to sell for $80,000-$120,000, there’s never been a better time to see what you’re missing.

2018 Mercedes-Benz G 65 AMG ‘Final Edition’

The G-Wagen, or G-Class as it became known, may have its origins as a military vehicle developed in partnership with Steyr-Puch, but it has since become one of the most loved luxury sports utility vehicles available, despite an ever-growing number of challengers.

Tempting as those others may be, for many years they lacked the G-Wagen’s secret weapon—an enormous V-12 beneath the bonnet. The G 65 AMG was the second attempt at a V12 G-Class after a small-scale effort in the early 2000s, and used a 621-horsepower twin-turbocharged V-12 that provided a truly reality-blurring 5.1-second 0-60 mph sprint time. Despite truly outrageous performance figures—and the title of the fastest G-Wagen of all time—the vehicle is more refined than its V-8 powered in-house rivals.

Production of the G 65 drew to a close in 2018 with the Final Edition, coinciding with the end of the traditional G-Class after 40 years. To mark the occasion, the Final Edition featured bronze alloy wheels and a carbon fibre interior with a bronze weave, with just 65 of these incredibly special vehicles leaving the factory.

With low mileage and a beautiful specification, this $250,000-$300,000 example offers a rare opportunity to acquire a true modern classic.

1990 Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II

The 190 E was first prepared for competition with help from British tuning firm, Cosworth, which produced a fire-breathing 2.3-litre engine that would take the model rallying. Drivetrain advancements from the likes of Audi soon put paid to those ambitions, so Mercedes-Benz turned instead to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft. In order to satisfy homologation rules, roadgoing versions of the 2.3-16 and 2.5-16 were soon storming the autobahn as a genuine rival to BMW’s M3.

However, even in Evolution trim—a hotter model launched in 1989 to match the M3’s recent power increase—the 190 E failed to fully live up to its promise, and it became clear that a radical solution was needed. That solution came with help from Stuttgart University, which helped devise a wild body kit so bonkers that BMW’s head of research development once said that “the laws of aerodynamics must be different between Munich and Stuttgart; if that rear wing works, we'll have to redesign our wind tunnel.” When the body kit started to prove successful in racing, BMW ended up getting a brand-new wind tunnel.

The roadgoing version of the Evolution II, of which 502 were built, used a 232 brake-horsepower, four-cylinder engine that revved to 7,200 rpm. Other refinements included an adjustable ride height system and 17-inch alloy wheels, resulting in one of the most outrageous and iconic models of the 1990s.

Always viewed as the thinking man’s M3, this spectacular example is expected to sell for between $280,000-$320,000.