I bought this 300E from a retired German software executive who bought the car new in 1991 in Florida, where he had an US office. He retired to Wisconsin back in 2019, and took the car with him. At the time I bought the car, it had 87,000 miles on it. The plus side of this was it's exceptional condition. However, I had to replace most of the suspension bushings, shocks, underhood hoses, pumps, all sorts of parts. I have attached as a picture the spreadsheet that I keep on all my cars, listing every single item I have done, the cost, and the time it took for me to complete the work. It shows a bit less than $6,000 in updates and replacements since I purchased the car. I love doing my own work, and the W124 is a wonderful car to work on!
The W124 300E is a rolling bank vault - the structural rigidity, the absolute highest quality materials, and the overall driving experience are amazing. I love driving this car, and over the past 4 years of my ownership I am regularly asked if I would sell it. I have always said no, as I cannot imagine what could replace it. However, I recently, finally, found a 1994 E320 Cabriolet - the most expensive Mercedes made in 1994, so I have decided to sell this car.
Impala Brown metallic with Palomino leather is a great color combination - it's such a refreshing change to the silver/black of so many cars. The upright stance of the W124, the fantastic visbility, the single wiper, the different sized side mirrors - this was from a time when Mercedes was run by its engineers, and we all benefited from it.
A couple of things things to make you aware of. Number one, its a 35 year old car. It is not perfect, even though the condition is so good. Please don't bid on this if you think you can just buy a car like this and drive it like a new Honda - the "right" buyer is someone who knows W124 and loves them - you've likely had several already (I've had 7). So, with that said, Number two, I think the transmission vacuum modulator could use with being replaced - doesn't happen every time, but I will get a higher RPM downshift on takeoff, and the modulator is a wear item. FCP Euro has them <$100. Next, I occasionally get a bulb-out light - I've not been able to identify it. I think it is a rusty ground on one of the receptacles, so I had planned to remove then and use a bit of sandpaper. I think the AC has a slow leak, as I've had to charge it this last summer, what with the weather so hot. I've added a Apple lightning charge cord with a USB-c plug too - it's nice for charging your phone. The stereo looks completely stock - I'm no fan of Becker, and the Continental unit is so much better.