The sale of the vehicle comes two years after Wilder auctioned off a huge collection of Depeche Mode memorabilia, notes music site Slicing Up Eyeballs.

"I find that I don't use the car enough these days due to having a family and the space requirements that imposes," explained Wilder on his official blog, typically dedicated to his band Recoil.

"I bought the Merc back in 1991 when it was first released and had to remain on a waiting list for 6 months such was the excitement and demand for the (then) cutting edge model. I have looked after her meticulously over the years and just cannot stand to see her sitting in my garage not being used."