Mercedes Benz E200 W124
Year of manufacture: 1994 Power: 136 hp Displacement: 1,998 cm3
Number of cylinders/valves: 4/4 Weight: 1,630 kg
Condition: perfect Catalog number: 44
The Mercedes Benz E-Class, internally designated as W 124, is one of the most successful model series in the history of Mercedes Benz production. It was introduced in 1985 and officially ended production in 1997. In total, an incredible 2,562,143 units were produced in all versions.
The car belonged to the mid-size class and was gradually produced in sedan, station wagon, coupe, and cabriolet versions. It featured a wide range of engines, from basic four-cylinder carbureted gasoline engines to the top-of-the-line 500E V8 engine. All diesel engines produced by the company at the time were also installed. Models with four-wheel drive under the 4-Matic designation premiered with Mercedes–Benz. From the development stage, emphasis was placed on making it very advanced in many respects, setting the trend for future cars. It had excellent aerodynamics. The chassis incorporated constructions previously only used in higher-class cars. It excelled in safety. Its main advantages were incredible reliability due to the quality of workmanship, materials, and technology used. When you look at these cars in any version today, the timeless overall design is obvious.
And the most interesting model from the W 124 series? Definitely the 500E sedan with a 5-liter V8 engine and 32 valves. Hidden inside the inconspicuous sedan was a pure sports car with excellent performance. Interestingly, Porsche was involved in its development and production, which speaks volumes.
The chassis design in the regular versions was already top-notch, and here it was further improved. Front double wishbones and elastokinematic five-link rear suspension. It is hard to find anything better in this class even today. It was an excellent base for building a powerful model, which the 500E clearly proved. Sitting in the impeccably finished interior, starting the engine, and driving off was a dream for many in the early 1990s. The car’s rigidity is noticeable during driving, making it feel as if carved from granite. The chassis provides excellent road contact while filtering out bumps superbly. It’s no wonder this car is considered the pinnacle of German engineering of its time. The entire car’s workmanship is extremely meticulous.
This car accelerates from zero to one hundred in 5.5 seconds. Besides offering modern performance, the engine is also technically advanced. It is all-aluminum, has continuous variable valve timing on the intake valves, and features a CAN-Bus control unit. Gear shifting is handled by a four-speed automatic transmission. However, not all technical features were well received by customers. For example, the traction control system could not be disabled until 1994, which understandably annoyed driving enthusiasts. Manufacturing one car took a solid 18 days, and due to strict quality controls and demanding production, the 500E cost a full 2.5 million CZK new. Even at this price, it did not make a profit.
And the cabriolet model? It premiered in September 1991. It was a four-seater convertible, the first in this series after nearly two decades. The car with the code designation A124 was based structurally on the coupe. The biggest weakness of convertibles — body flexing — was eliminated by using four vibration dampers. The entire body was of course reinforced and significantly modified.
Since the convertible lacked both the central and rear pillars, the front ones had to be properly reinforced. A special protective system of two deployable segments behind the rear seats, which also served as headrests, guarded safety in case of rollover. If the electronics detected a rollover, these headrests activated automatically within just 0.3 seconds. They could also be manually activated by the driver.
The folding roof construction consisted of 27 parts and 34 joints, but when folded, it occupied only 80 liters of trunk space. The roof had to be operated manually unless the owner paid extra for electro-hydraulic control. Initially, only the 300 CE-24 Cabriolet version was produced. Its production started in 1992. Later, other engine versions were added. Even today, it remains a very beautiful and unmistakable car.
Owners of all W 124 series cars remember them fondly, and for many, they represent the last truly honest mechanical cars before the massive advent of electronic and electric features in today’s automobiles.
