Description
This is a 1995 Mercedes-Benz E280 Estate (S124), showing 162, 250 miles. I've owned the car since August 2017, having bought it from Charles Ironside Limited MB specialist. It's been my only car since then, based in London.
Service history & documentation The car comes with excellent provenance and an extensive history file: the original Mercedes-Benz maintenance booklet has 26 stamped entries running from the car's Pre-Delivery Inspection in August 1995 right through to March 2026, backed up by a thick folder of invoices for the significant work, historic paper MOT certificates going back to the first test in July 1998, the original Normand Mayfair Mercedes branded MOT document wallet, and the original handbooks.
MOT Valid until April 2027, passed with no advisories.
Key mechanical work carried out All of the well-known S124/ M104 problem areas have already been sorted:
Engine rebuild: Cylinder head rebuilt and head gasket renewed by Perfect Touch Performance – re-faced head, 24 valves/ seats refaced, 12 new exhaust valve guides fitted, fresh head gasket set, injectors serviced and flow-tested (Jan 2020, 131, 770 miles)
Engine wiring loom rebuilt (main engine loom, throttle body loom and lower loom) by Sileck Auto Electrical, regarded as the go-to for M104 loom work
Preferable 5-speed automatic gearbox rebuilt by Nair Autos (Jul 2017, 122, 012 miles)
Rear self-levelling suspension (SLS) spheres replaced both sides (Bursledon Motors, Dec 2015, 115, 148 miles)
Most recently full serviced at Klasse of Fulham MB Specialist (Mar 2026) and further work included new front brake discs, pads, calipers and flexi hoses, fresh rear springs, new door lock actuator, new rear tailgate seal
I've spent over £13, 000 on maintenance under my ownership alone (Aug 2017 to present), all backed by invoices.
Service summary (from new, 1995–present)
04/ 08/ 1995, 0 miles – Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) – Normand Mayfair Mercedes Ltd
21/ 08/ 1995, 1, 014 miles – Inspection – Normand Mayfair Mercedes Ltd
08/ 03/ 1996, 10, 170 miles – Lubrication Service – Normand Mayfair Mercedes Ltd
05/ 11/ 1996, 13, 343 miles – Lubrication Service – Normand Mayfair Mercedes Ltd
28/ 07/ 1998, 15, 440 miles – Maintenance Service – Normand Mayfair Mercedes Ltd
17/ 04/ 2000, 21, 751 miles – Lubrication Service & Brake Check – Bradshaw Webb (Chelsea) Ltd
31/ 07/ 2001, 24, 385 miles – Maintenance Service – Bradshaw Webb (Chelsea) Ltd
18/ 08/ 2003, 37, 199 miles – Lubrication Service – Able Engineering (MB Specialist)
09/ 08/ 2004, 42, 358 miles – Maintenance Service – Cotswold Garage
26/ 05/ 2006, 54, 007 miles – Lubrication Service – S. S. Motors (MB Specialist)
05/ 06/ 2008, 70, 380 miles – Maintenance Service – Ampress Park
02/ 02/ 2010, 81, 705 miles – Oil Service – Ampress Park
01/ 02/ 2011, 92, 920 miles – Maintenance Service – Ampress Park
12/ 07/ 2012, 101, 611 miles – Full Service – Charles Ironside Limited MB specialist
23/ 07/ 2013, 104, 760 miles – Oil Service – RPL Automotive (MB Specialist)
03/ 12/ 2015, 114, 618 miles – Maintenance Service – Bursledon Motors (MB Specialist)
11/ 07/ 2017, 122, 611 miles – Oil Service & Steering Shock – Charles Ironside Limited MB specialist
04/ 07/ 2018, 126, 465 miles – Maintenance Service – J Day Engineering Ltd
23/ 01/ 2020, 131, 770 miles – Engine Rebuild – Perfect Touch Performance
10/ 07/ 2020, 133, 987 miles – Full Service – J Day Engineering Ltd
21/ 06/ 2021, 138, 479 miles – Interim Service – J Day Engineering Ltd
28/ 06/ 2022, 143, 280 miles – Full Service – J Day Engineering Ltd
17/ 06/ 2023, 146, 792 miles – Interim Service – J Day Engineering Ltd
13/ 07/ 2024, 152, 593 miles – Full Service – J Day Engineering Ltd
22/ 04/ 2025, 156, 940 miles – Interim Service / Brake Fluid – J Day Engineering Ltd
24/ 03/ 2026, 160, 618 miles – Service A & Brake Overhaul – Klasse of Fulham (MB Specialist)
Condition Please remember, this is a 31-year-old car and although it presents nicely, it is not concours. There are age-related marks and dents on the bodywork, see photos, and the paintwork isn't perfect. I had the driver's side wing replaced relatively recently due to rust; the passenger side has a small bit of bubbling, which is just a cosmetic fix rather than anything structural. At its last service the specialist commented on how solid the car is underneath, and the jacking points are good. Rather than chase a perfect exterior, I've put money into keeping it mechanically right. It's had a recent machine polish and ceramic coating, and sits on a recent set of 4 premium Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance tyres. Comes with two working remote keys.
Spec:
Specification 2. 8-litre M104 inline-6 (24V DOHC) petrol engine, 5-speed automatic transmission, Midnight Blue exterior over Mushroom leather, 7-seat configuration with folding rear-facing bench, electric sliding sunroof, air conditioning, cruise control (Tempomat), burred walnut trim, leather steering wheel and gear knob, roof rails, double roller blind/ cargo net, 8-hole alloy wheels, and a quality, discrete bluetooth Pioneer stereo.
I bought this E280 Estate from Charles Ironside, a well-known classic Mercedes specialist, back in 2017, and it's been my only car ever since.
The 2. 8-litre M104 straight-six paired with the 5-speed automatic is generally reckoned to be the sweet spot of the S124 range. W124 specialist Nick Froome has pointed out that the E280 is cheaper and simpler to maintain while still giving you smooth, effortless six-cylinder power.
What sets this car apart is that the main faults S124/ M104 owners tend to worry about have already been sorted: the engine wiring loom has been rebuilt by a specialist, the cylinder head has been fully rebuilt with a fresh head gasket, the automatic gearbox has been rebuilt, and the rear self-levelling suspension spheres have been renewed. It's going to be a great buy with the big ticket expenses already taken care of.
It's also a properly practical estate: factory 7-seat configuration with a folding rear-facing bench in the boot, roof rails, a sunroof, air conditioning, cruise control and a nice cabin finished in burred walnut with mushroom leather. It's the sort of car you can actually use while also pulling a lot of admiring looks and comments. I regularly take it down to Cornwall.
It also has earning potential. It's listed on a filming/ casting site and I regularly get approached for paid filming work with it, and it's appeared in an ITV documentary adaptation of the Princess Diana and Martin Bashir interview.
Above all, this is a car with a proper, unbroken history. Every stamp, invoice and MOT certificate from new is with the car, and I've never cut corners on maintenance in the nine years I've had it. It's a real, usable, well-sorted classic estate that's ready to be enjoyed by its next owner.
I am extremely fond of this car and it is going to be a wrench to say goodbye to it. The price is a fixed £9, 750.
