Highlights
- Sought after sunroof model
- Extremely rare 7-seater variant
- Complete dealer service history
- Vehicle not yet registered in Italy
The Appeal
Sure, this may not be the rarest or flashiest car you’ll see up for sale, however these W124’s strike a chord in the hearts for us nostalgic for the era of boxy Benz’s… Thanks to the decade-long run of these cars there was no shortage of them throughout the 90s and early 2000’s which makes them all but unaffordable in today's market for the average enthusiast, however it’s becoming increasingly rare to see on the road today.
This particular example appears to have been well looked after over the years of use, not just mechanically but also aesthetically, it looks absolutely fantastic for its age and mileage and sports an unmistakably 90’s interior to finish it off perfectly. In a word, charming.
The History and Paperwork
- Originally manufactured and sold in Germany
- Registered in Germany in 1995
- Sold to its first UK owner in 1998
- First date of UK registration 27th of August 1998
- Change of hands in the UK where it remained until recently
- Situated in Italy
- The vehicle has not been registered in Italy and retains the UK registration
- UK V5 certificate is with the vehicle
- Complete service history
- Original booklets included with the vehicle
- Recent mechanical servicing
- Electric roof mechanism restored
The Interior
- Grey cloth interior with plaid
- Wooden veneer dash and centre console
- Seats all in fantastic shape
- Desirable 7-seater version
- Desirable sunroof model
- Carpets all present in lovely condition
- Boot carpets all well maintained
- Door cards all original and well presented
- Original tape deck
- Electric windows
The interior of the Benz just screams 90’s. The grey cloth paired with the striking plaid seat centres and door card inserts, mixed with a hint of dark wooden veneer, just isn't something you see in modern cars, and frankly, we somewhat miss the madness that remains in some of these German gems.
Opening the door you’d be fooled into thinking that this car hasn’t even done half of the mileage of what it says on the clocks, the front seats present themselves wonderfully thanks to the cloth not falling victim to the same wear patterns as leather - they appear to have seen very little use even though we know that not to be the case! In front of the driver seat, the OEM steering wheel remains in place with no signs of damage, just some light wear in the highly tactile areas. Just behind the wheel the original gauge cluster is found showing no unwelcoming lights or warning signs, and all of the gauges work as they are expected to. You may also notice the hint of German scripting on the cruise control stalk and also behind the gear shifter - tracing back to the car's roots originating in Germany.
The dashboard and centre console are in fantastic condition with no signs of any damage, the wooden veneer which runs cross the dash is intact as is the centre console veneer work which flows down the control panel and around the gear selector. All of the control panel buttons appear to be easily readable thanks to all of the printed symbols not showing signs of wear or fading - always a nice plus!
The rear seats are very much the same as the front, they appear to have had very little signs of use and are presented in a lovely manner with no rips or tears throughout. Although it may not appear as opulent as models outfitted with leather, you can’t deny that it hasn't stood the test of time better than most! In the boot compartment, there is an additional two seats much like the earlier W123 wagons were available with, these too appear to be in great shape as does the boot carpets!
All of the floor carpets are present and in great shape, and the headliner appears to be free from any sagging which many suffer from. All signs of a well loved, cared for and cherished car that someone clearly enjoyed owning over the years. And we don’t blame them.
The interior in this Benz is just lovely, the cloth and patterns are an instant reminder of the era in which the car was born in, and throughout everything seems to be in great condition. We certianly wouldn’t mind this as a nice family wagon!
The Exterior
- Bordeaux Red paintwork
- Some light bodywork repainting including the front fenders and front bumper
- Original wheels, a couple of which have some scarring
- All original panels with no apparent scratching or damage
- Good factory fitment panel gaps throughout the vehicle
- All lights appear damage free with great clarity
- Badges and brightwork in great order
- Some light signs of corrosion, however do not require any immediate intervention
We have a soft spot for W124’s. Estate or not. There’s something inherently cool about boxy body shapes and wacky interiors - especially when they don’t break the bank and provide ample practicality.
Starting at the front of this Mercedes we see that the grill brightwork is in fantastic shape and the original badges remain in place. The paintwork here seems very good, thanks to some recent light repainting, and the panel gaps remain to be factory fitment. The front lights are free from damage or water ingress and have great clarity with no real signs of fading too.
Move around to the side and we get a good view of that iconic body shape sitting on some lovely OEM diamond cut wheels. The bodywork throughout is in great shape and all the arches appear clean, and the wheels all appear to be in good order. The front driver side wheel does have some deep scratching on the diamond cut face however this appears to be the only wheel which suffers from this level of imperfection.
To the rear of the vehicle, the paintwork again seems in great condition and the tail lights are free of any damage or water ingress and still retain great colour and clarity. Panel gaps are all as they should be and the original Mercedes badge remains in place.
Overall, the exterior of this 320 appears to be in great shape, of course with any vehicle of this age there will be minor imperfections, but this has stood the test of time extremely well.
The Mechanics
- 3.2L inline 6-cylinder
- Rear wheel-drive configuration
- Automatic transmission
- 216bhp power output
- Recent engine and gearbox service
- A/C compressor recently replaced
- Restored electric roof mechanism
- Brakes recently overhauled
It may be big, but it's certainly not lazy. That gutsy 3.2 litre inline 6 gives off a good bit of grunt when you want it to with a stout 216hp at your foot. It may not be face melting numbers by todays standards, but it’s still a good whack of power, even more so when the car was in its prime!
The owner tells us that the vehicle is an extremely good runner, having been recently serviced with oils and filter, the car performs excellently with great power delivery and a very smooth gearbox with no unwanted jerkiness or harshness. It remains as opulent as it was in the 90’s in this respect. Suspension seems solid with no worrying creaks or bangs and the brakes have been recently attended to so the stopping power is on point and precise.
Fair to say then, this is a fantastic all rounder and like most 90’s German cars, a fantastically reliable runner that’s ripe and ready to double that odometer reading with any new custodians.
Summary
If you’re in the market for a nice, clean, well looked after car that you don’t need to fiddle with to get going properly, and one you won’t feel too bad about putting the miles on, we don’t think you need to look any further than this. These cars provide fantastic usability without breaking your bank account - and you get a nice piece of 90’s history too!
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