• One owner since new

• Low recorded mileage

• Structurally sound 

• Left-field choice for economy motoring

The W124 Mercedes has established itself as something of a modest yet very accomplished car. Acting almost as the everyman 1980’s Mercedes, it would perform dutifully as a luxurious cruiser, a taxi or a spacious load-lugger yet retain a touch of class. 

With a reputation for quality, durability and space, the W124 is the very epitome of the modern classic, acting as a comfortable daily driver with legendary durability. Over the years, the W124 model spawned an extensive range, with many engines and spec permutations and predictably all benefitting from Mercedes’s era of over-engineering. 

While top-end spec’d late estates are very much in demand and has done much for the value of the W124, we cast our eye on this 1988 entry-level 200D Diesel model. The car spent its first 5 years of its life in Gibraltar and shipped over to the UK yet managed to retain its low mileage, coupled with regular servicing and maintenance. 

Structurally solid, the car has seen some cosmetic touches to help improve its presentation but retains its pleasingly unpretentious look and feel.

Not much is known about the previous owners use and experiences of the car, other than the fact that they may have been company directors and following a relocation from Gibraltar to the UK in 1993, they decided to bring the car over to London where they settled. With the V5 stating that the car was passed over to a new keeper in 2005. 

The low mileage seems to tally up with the service booklet, handwritten notes and recent MOT history. The MOT printouts also point out that the car saw limited use in the last 10 years, having covered not much more than 15K over that period. The reason for the sale of the car may be due to old age.

Registered new in Gibraltar in 1988, the car was serviced at the main dealer and ran up mileage of around 16K on the British Overseas Territory, then shipped over by the owner into the UK in the summer of 1993. The maintenance service stamps continued up to 2000, at which point it had collected another 16K on the road. 

The car comes with handwritten notes to support that the maintenance and servicing were maintained, with those notes dating right up to 2018 and possibly beyond. Other than the standard servicing requirements, there are suggestions that the glow plugs, fuel pump and lines, manifold, pulleys, prop coupling, injectors and pressure switch have seen renewal or attention over the last 10 years. The car will be sold with a new MOT. 

The interior, mostly due to the mushroom coloured upholstery shows its age somewhat, with the carpets and cloth seats looking grubbier than they actually are. However a deep clean could be a task for the next owner, although the driver's seat will need a little more skill to resolve. The bolster on the right has perished, so it would be a prudent option to renew. The worn seat padding has compromised its comfort too. The passenger seat has a few minor marks, but along with the back seat are in far better condition. The boot is in good order, with no suggestion of significant use and therefore adding evidence to the low mileage that it has had a comparatively easy life.

The door cards are good and have been spared the usual scuffs and wear, with the headlining also in good condition with no marks or damage noted. The dashboard facia is in good order throughout, with no significant damage observed on the top of the unit, the plastics are generally intact with the veneer finish still looking far better than average. All dials and controls are said to be operational, and all are visually in good condition. 

The body is in decent shape, with no particular issues in regards to metal blemishes, there are minor scabs in places, such as areas under the lights, the lower corners and areas around the arches; nothing significant at the moment but would need a level of treatment at some point. 

The rest of the body is solid, with no suggestions of external body corrosion, with the panel all in good shape, with no significant scuffs or dents. The panels and doors are generally flush fitting, with the occasional anomaly which can be put down to the age of the car. The doors open and close with no issues, still retaining a solid thunk partly due to the good door rubbers. The structure is good, with the sills looking solid, although the areas around the near side jacking points may need further investigation. 

The engine bay and chassis rails are good. The inner wings appear to be decent, with the boot well looking solid too. The control arm mounts and subframes on brief inspection appear to be ok as nothing has been flagged up as an advisory on past MOTs. 

The car has seen a cosmetic paint blow over, which has been generally well applied and retains a good lustre but there is evidence of overspray on some areas upon closer inspection but by no means a careless finish. The paint coverage is even and retains a reasonably decent shine.

The unpainted plastic bumpers are uncracked and are in generally good condition, with some suggestions of minor scuffs noted on both rear and front items. They both hang evenly well and along with the ‘Berlin Taxi’ light Ivory paint, suit the cars honest demeanour. The body trim is all complete and in good condition, with minor signs of age but have resisted the potential for knocks and scrapes rather well. 

The door handles show a little more evidence in line with the age of the car but are all functional and fit for purpose. The glass rubbers have been well persevered and along with the condition of the glass which are undamaged and appears to be keeping the inside of the car dry. The windscreen is in good order with no cracks or chips. 

The mixed brand tyres are all within the legal requirements, with decent thread but are likely to be over 20 years old, with the near side rear tyre showing fairly advanced signs of age. The plastic hub caps are in very good condition. The passenger wing mirror casing has fallen off, but it still retains its glass - note that the different door mirror sizes are a particular feature of the W124. The lights and lenses are good, with just the offside rear lamp lens edge showing slight damage.

The engine, if anything is a reminder of how diesel engines have moved on over the last 30 years - you will not be doing much overtaking in this car. However, with that said, these units have a legendary reputation and if maintained will cover exceptional mileages. The engine itself once you get over the shock of the initial racket, starts instantly, never misses a beat and runs well with no suggestion of issues with the oil or water. 

The exhaust silencer display some signs of corrosion but didn’t appear to be blowing and there were no suggestions of black smoke at all. The engine itself presents well, with pipes, ancillaries and hoses all looking solid suggesting a sympathetic maintenance regime. As expected there are some signs of wear under the hood, but for an oil burner, it looks remarkably clean and is a positive reflection on the cars low mileage. 

The car is said to ride well, with no problems noted with the brakes, clutch or gear change. No knocking noises were evident when the car was moved around at low speeds. The brakes function well, with no uneven balance or unwanted noises with no noticeable clonks or squeaks coming from the suspension.

Well known for the ability to cover colossal mileages, this humble but appealing example of a W124 300 Diesel is certainly a left-field choice for those looking for a modern classic car. It is comfortable, ably deals with poor roads and is a genuinely easy car to own and maintain. 

Often mentioned as one of the last of the ‘proper’ Mercedes’, these were genuinely built to last and this low-mileage example could potentially have decades worth of use ahead of it.