E-Class W124 Mercedes-Benz W124 turns 30!

[trader1]

Met a cool guy yesterday, was considering buying a 7,000 mile 1998 sl 500 off him. This 500e is his, had not driven it in 2 years. Instant love. Butterflies galore from just looking at the sportline shape steering wheel. 60 k mi on clock.

 

[klier]

I am looking for an Instagram vid I can't quite find again, but it's about a W124 in a safari park (or somehwere in Africa), and an elephant decides to sit on the hood of the car. Not so much a a scratch! No suspension failure, no nothing. A modern car would have imploded.

 

[Rolf]

Doesn’t the W124 turn 40 this year?

Yes, it will be 40 years old in 3 months' time. The W124 was launched in the last week of November 1984.

 

[klier]

Yes, it will be 40 years old in 3 months' time. The W124 was launched in the last week of November 1984.

We're going to have to update the thread title!

 

[wgerman]

Such a simple yet timeless design.

 

[Rolf]

We're going to have to update the thread title!

The W124 will probably be the only car on the road in 100 years time it was that robust and reliable.

 

[Rolf]

This is a brilliant car, love the 500E

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[Merc1]

It is for me the best single E-Class model ever. If the W124 isn’t the best E of all time going by its impact and stature at the time.

M

 

[bmwz4coupe]

It is for me the best single E-Class model ever. If the W124 isn’t the best E of all time going by its impact and stature at the time.

M

I can’t decide if I like W123 or W124 best. They are IMO both at the top among all sedans produced from all manufacteurs.

 

[AbsoluteUnit]

The 500E really was one of the best sport sedans ever made.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

It is for me the best single E-Class model ever. If the W124 isn’t the best E of all time going by its impact and stature at the time.

M

The W214 has the makings of a milestone vehicle. I wonder what initial reliability and satisfaction reports are like.

 

[martinbo]

The W214 has the makings of a milestone vehicle.

With the same level of market significance as the W124? No chance of that.

 

[Merc1]

The W214 has the makings of a milestone vehicle. I wonder what initial reliability and satisfaction reports are like.

Not sure what the initial ratings were, but in 1990 the 300E was the #1 car in the JD Powers dependability study in the USA. Hard to imagine today.

M

 

[Merc1]

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M

 

[Merc1]

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[Rolf]

Here are some great pics of the W124 during design development and initial launch.

 

[Centurion]

Thanks for sharing. I have never seen the prototype grille before.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

If Pfeiffer worked alongside Sacco for so long, how did he end up so clueless at the end of his tenure? It's as if her forgot all of the grounding principles that Sacco and his predecessor brought to MB design.

Blame him for the EQs, which I don't really, and a few other minor misteps, but Wagener restored some sense of identity, continuity and respectability to MB design. He's also overseen two fantastic generations (design wise) of MB ICE vehicles.

 

[klier]

If Pfeiffer worked alongside Sacco for so long, how did he end up so clueless at the end of his tenure? It's as if her forgot all of the grounding principles that Sacco and his predecessor brought to MB design.

Blame him for the EQs, which I don't really, and a few other minor misteps, but Wagener restored some sense of identity, continuity and respectability to MB design. He's also overseen two fantastic generations (design wise) of MB ICE vehicles.

May God have his soul, but Sacco is also responsible for cars like the W210, one of the most dreaded designs coming from MB. They all seem to loose it a bit near the end....

 

[Rolf]

May God have his soul, but Sacco is also responsible for cars like the W210, one of the most dreaded designs coming from MB. They all seem to loose it a bit near the end....

I initially liked the front of the W210 but when I saw the car in real life for the first time I was highly disappointed in the rear design as the tail lights looked very cheaply designed. Definitely not Sacco finest hour, but he did restore his dignity with the W220 and C215 S-class models.