The W124 series of Mercedes-Benz was produced from 1984 to 1997 and from 1993 the car was officially referred to as the E-Class. The W124 was a mid-sized vehicle platform which in 1978 the decision was made to base it on the W201 platform. 

Much of the W124’s engineering was advanced automotive engineering at the time of its launch which have now been adopted as standard practice on many modern vehicles. 

A lot of the innovations on the car were focused on making the W124 more aerodynamic and fuel efficient, which was a noble endeavour for Mercedes to undertake and one that is just as relevant now as it was then. 

The cabriolet launched in 1991 and were redesignated as E220/320 etc in 1993, with production ceasing in 1997. 

The Mercedes was purchased recently from a gentleman who had owned the car since 2010 with only 3 keepers previous to him. During the car’s time on the road since 1996, the car has only covered 86135 miles and from what you can see here, they were 86135 gentle and loving miles.

The car has clearly been looked after during this time, being owned by some very maintenance conscious owners. The current owner has purchased the car through their business ready to sell on to someone who can give the Mercedes the care and time it deserves.
 

The Mercedes comes with a substantial folder of paperwork full of receipts of work done, mostly routine/MOT related, giving prospective owners a good indication of how well the car has been treated during its time.

The car also comes with the full raft of service manuals and a full maintenance book with stamps from garages carrying out the work. One of the manuals has come into contact with some damp in the past and as a result is showing signs of mould, however a quick phone call to the Mercedes dealership should surely see a replacement on its way to you.

The owners of the car have also been good enough to keep the service touring guarantee with the original paperwork.

Mercedes-Benz of this period are a paragon of build quality, so it's no surprise to see that the interior on this low mileage example is in very fine fettle indeed.

Opening the doors, the door furniture is all in good condition, including the ruffled cushioned sections of the doors providing extra comfort for resting your arms whilst driving.

Moving inside, the dashboard is very well looked after and the black vinyl/plastic is all in good condition with no rips, cracks or bleaching from the sun. The wooden veneer is all in good condition as well with no chips, cracks or lacquer peel.

The carpet in the car is in very good condition as well and the current owner has taken measure to protect it from further immediate use with floor paper. The main touch points in the car have fared very well with little, if any wear and tear to be seen, the leather on the steering wheel hasn’t worn away or faded and the gear selector is in fine shape too.

The seats are in equally good condition with the rear bench looking like they have seen little use. The front seats are both in good condition as well with the passenger seat looking very fresh, having very little wear to the upholstery at all.

The driver’s side is showing minor signs of light wear at the bottom of the upright, but this seems to just be friction from general use and nothing deeper than the top layer of upholstery. It is not looking like it will break or rip soon though, so the integrity of the fabric is maintained.

All seats throughout the car have kept their padding, with the bolsters in good condition.

It really is a delightful place to be - comfortable, simplistic, yet elegant and exquisitely put together.

The exterior of this car is where it quite literally, shines.

The 'Emerald Green' paint work is in spectacular condition, benefiting from a £600 comprehensive paint correction and sealant since the time of photography. There are no significant chips, scratches or any sort of damage to note. This Mercedes truly does look, for lack of a better phrase, brand new.

The rest of the exterior brings more reassuring news, as all the glass is in good condition, the lights and electrics around the car work as intended and the chrome/brightwork is in good condition with no pitting, crazing or lacquer peeling.

The grille at the front has all its slats and has not become brittle as is often the case, the bumpers are in good shape and the shut lines around the car are tight and uniform. The hood is in equally good condition and shows little sign of wear, there is a very slight nick just near the bottom of the passenger side rear window, shown in the gallery below, but this is not letting water in and the whole hood remains watertight.

The hood mechanism is smooth and seamless in motion, it doesn’t get stuck during putting the roof down or bringing it back up and it all tucks away neatly and effortlessly at the press of a button.

The wheels look great and show the tiniest amount of imperfection from where previous curbing damage has been repaired, it’s so small in fact, it’s almost not worth mentioning. The tyres on the other hand are great, showing plenty of tread depth left to drive on for a while longer.
 

The tough 2.2 litre inline 4 engine is ‘sweet as a nut’ as they say, firing straight up at the turn of the key and idling nicely and consistently during the photoshoot. The dashboard showed no warning lights or anything that might suggest that the engine was anything other than working beautifully.

As you open the bonnet you can see straight away that the engine bay is clean, shows no signs of rust anywhere and the components along with the piping and wiring are all in good condition showing no signs of failing anytime soon.

There is also no oil leaks or water leaks to speak of which is more reassuring news. The car drives well and there is no hesitation or stickiness in the gearbox, it selects gears as it should and pulls away smoothly under drive.

There are no untoward noises coming from the drivetrain or suspension under start up, idling, moving or stopping, all is well in the Mercedes mechanically.

A new MOT has been carried out for the new owner, passing first time with no advisories.

In 1996 this Mercedes would have been a desirable car, perfect for the commute into the city and equally, the long-distance drive to sunnier destinations for the holidays. 

Today it is becoming a bit of a modern classic, losing none of its original desirability or charm. The Mercedes is the dependable choice usually, but with the top down it becomes so much more, and today you can have one without the original price tag but retain all the usability and styling from the time. 

The solid mechanicals, jaw-dropping paint and comprehensive history surely makes this E220 Cabriolet one of the finest examples on the market currently.

Sounds like a good deal if you ask us.!