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1990 Mercedes-Benz 300TE

3If you want a reliable, low-key and classy way to ferry around a bunch of people and their stuff, there are few options out there better than the W124 estate. You get all the virtues of the W124 sedan – impeccable 80’s era Mercedes build quality, classic styling and an over-engineered chassis offering good levels of safety and comfort – with the extra cargo space and versatility of a longroof. And since these cars were often bought new by wealthy, practically minded people, who saw fit to invest in them rather than sell them on, it’s still possible to find mint condition examples that have been meticulously maintained by their former owners. This low-mileage 300TE appears to be such a car.

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1990 Mercedes-Benz 300TE on eBay

Year: 1990
Model: 300TE
Engine: 3.0 liter inline-6
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Mileage: 74,514 mi
Price: Reserve auction with $13,000 Buy It Now
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This is a perfect condition W124 Mercedes Benz 300TE. This car was owned by a family who drove it occasionally and garage kept. The paint is in really great condition as well as the interior. Comes with the rare order of original sheep’s fur seat covers that have been in place since new and recently cleaned. Underneath the sheep fur is perfect condition leather seats. Owned by head of marketing for Mercedes Benz. No signs of wear and tear. The engine starts right up and runs very smooth. Low mileage 300TE with only 74,514. This is basically like buying a new Mercedes from 1990 for a fraction of the cost.

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Paul and Andrew have both written up W124 wagons quite recently (here and here), but this car stands out for a few reasons. First, with a mere 75k miles on the odometer this is a very low mileage example; the robust 3.0 liter M103 inline-6 engine has barely been run in, and both the exterior and interior present accordingly. It’s not quite as “perfect” as the seller describes: there is a slight scuff on the bumper that looks like it probably came from a parking lot ding. But it’s very minor and otherwise the car looks excellent. Second, the car is optioned with mushroom cream/beige leather seats instead of MB-Tex, a welcome addition especially since the leather looks to be in wonderful shape, having been protected for most of its life by seat covers. Third, the car also has the foldaway jump seats in the rear cargo area, perfect for when you find yourself in a pinch and need to carry two extra passengers. The willow green exterior paint, seen also on the 500SE Paul wrote up back in June, may not be to everyone’s taste, but I think it’s quite charming. The subdued lighting in the photos doesn’t really do it any favors, but a google image search reveals that this color looks a lot nicer when shown in better light.

I think the $13k buy it now price is a bit optimistic, and I imagine the reserve is probably set somewhere around there too. But if the seller is prepared to let the car go for a little less, perhaps somewhere in the $8-$9k range, I think it’d be a reasonably good deal for someone who wants a W124 estate and is prepared to pay a little extra to buy a nice one.

– Craig

5 Comments

  1. Bryan
    Bryan July 14, 2016

    I thought the bottle near the ABS pump was for the 4matic hydraulic fluid…
    but this car is listed as not being equipped with 4matic, and there are no undercarriage shots to verify.

  2. John
    John July 14, 2016

    This is what a vin decoder shows for those interested.
    222 RIGHT FRONT SEAT, ELECTRICALLY ADJUSTABLE
    240 OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE INDICATOR
    241 FRONT SEAT LH ELECTRIC ADJUSTABLE WITH MEMORY
    261 TYPE DESIGNATION ON FENDER / SIDEWARD DELETION
    265A LEATHER CREAM BEIGE – MUSHROOM / QUARTZ
    265A *1 _______ 19960806 LEATHER CREAM BEIGE – MUSHROOM / QUARTZ
    265A *2 _______ 19961112 LEATHER MUSHROOM
    280 LEATHER STEERING WHEEL AND LEATHER GEAR SHIFT KNOB
    412 ELECTRIC SLIDING ROOF
    412 *1 _______ 19951002 ELECTRIC SLIDING ROOF
    412 *2 _______ 19980716 ELECTRIC SLIDING ROOF WITH TILTING DEVICE
    420 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 4-GEAR
    446 No code designation available
    461 INSTRUMENT WITH MILES IND. AND ENGLISH LEGEND
    491 U.S. VERSION
    519 REAR AUDIO SYSTEM
    524 PAINTWORK – PRESERVATION
    531 AUTOMATIC ANTENNA
    543 SUN VISOR WITH MAKE-UP MIRROR L. AND R., BE-
    551 ANTI-THEFT/ANTI-BREAK-IN WARNING SYSTEM
    570 FOLDING ARMREST, FRONT
    588 No code designation available
    593 ALL-ROUND WD-GREEN GLASS,HEATED REAR WINDOW-ESG,BF
    600 HEADLAMPS – CLEANING EQUIPMENT
    611 EXIT LIGHTS FOR DRIVER DOORS
    639 No code designation available
    640 15-HOLE LIGHT ALLOY RIMS
    65 No code designation available
    722 BAGGAGE RACK, INTEGRATED
    800 AEJ 06/1/M/X
    844 No code designation available

  3. Todd
    Todd July 14, 2016

    I had the exact same car, except mine was a 1990 300 SEL. My color was called Sea Foam Green Metallic. It looked exactly like this color. Beautiful car.

  4. Firoze Lafeer
    Firoze Lafeer July 14, 2016

    @Bryan, the reservoir next to the ABS pump is for the SLS system (hydraulic self-leveling in the rear)

  5. Bryan
    Bryan July 16, 2016

    @Firoze, thank you.

Comments are closed.