Ever since I got behind the wheel of one during my college years, the W124 Mercedes-Benz 500E/E500 has had staying power in my mind. It’s no surprise. Barring the few prototypes that emerged over the years, one could almost consider this the first four-door Porsche, having largely been constructed at the Rossle Bau factory in Zuffenhausen. It was a familiar experience at first, given my father was running a 400E at the time, but the vehicle’s responsiveness was dialed in just enough to give it a hard edge without losing the luxury overtones. In my opinion, never has a vehicle manufacturer walked the tightrope between sport and luxury as well as Mercedes-Benz did with this super saloon.
Today we’ll look at two 500Es, first a very low mileage example for sale in New Jersey, the second having higher mileage but still within a range to be considered lightly used for its age.
Year: 1992
Model: 500E
Engine: 5.0 liter V8
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Mileage: 10,085 mi
Price: $58,000 Buy It Now
Click for Details: 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E on eBay
1992 Mercedes 500E. The Mercedes that was built by Porsche. Car is collector owned and just crossed 10,000 miles. Comes with all original books and records. Despite the low miles, the car has been regularly serviced and has 5 new tires. No blemishes on this car and pretty much impossible to find in this condition and miles.
It’s not hard to believe this 500E covered such few miles. Northern New Jersey is a monied place with a lot of collectors, so I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a bunch of other awesome rides in this owner’s garage to choose from. More pictures and a detailed history for such a nice piece would have been welcome though. The asking price is certainly well above anything I’ve seen and I doubt this car will pull that kind of money. The market just isn’t there yet. I’d suspect this car might sell in the mid $30,000 range at the high end, possibly glancing $40,000 if the right buyer came along.
Now on to our next 500E, this one being slightly more used with a little over 80,000 miles on the clock. It looks straight from the pictures, however, and is mostly original save for some aftermarket audio equipment.
Year: 1992
Model: 500E
Engine: 5.0 liter V8
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Mileage: 83,398 mi
Price: Reserve auction
Click for Details: 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E on eBay
Here is a beautiful and very special 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E. Finished with a Brilliant Silver exterior and grey leather interior. Driven just 83,398 careful miles since new. Options on this 500E include an automatic transmission, power sunroof, heated seats, 4-place seating, custom stereo and much more.
This 500E just underwent a complete oil and fluid service within the last 20 miles and it drives even better than it looks. The massive 8 cylinder engine (designed and built by Porsche) is strong and powerful and the automatic transmission shifts properly through all of the gears. The steering is tight and precise and the brakes feel just great. All of the electrics work perfectly and the air conditioning is ice cold. This really is a fantastic Mercedes-Benz to drive.
The interior is stunning. The grey leather seats are in remarkable condition (see pictures) showing just minimal wear to the seats. The dashboard is like new and even the carpets don’t look or feel like they have been stepped on thanks to the factory Mercedes-Benz floor mats that have been protecting them.
The exterior is what really sets this particular 500E apart from the rest. The Brilliant Silver paint is in fantastic condition (see pictures) with no major dents or dings anywhere at all. The paint is bright and shiny with plenty of luster. Add the special flared fenders and body arches and this 500E really does look menacing.
The 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E was the supercar sedan of its day. It was a joint collaboration between Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. The 500E has a very unique look, massive performance and all of the Mercedes-Benz legendary safety, luxury and reliability. I have owned a lot of 500Es, but this one happens to look and drive as nice as any. There are some typical “apologies” to this 500E that I would like to mention. There are some paint nicks and blemishes here and there (see pictures) and a bit of wear to the driver seat bolster (see picture). Other than these minor items, this really is a fantastic 500E in every regard. Please feel free to call me (Matt 516-658-4048) with any additional questions you may have. The pictures don’t do this 500E justice, it really is that nice! I am listing this car with a very fair reserve so please only bid if you intend to buy! Don’t miss this one! Good luck!
Even though I prefer my 500Es in black, I’d go for the silver one, simply because I could use it as intended without feeling guilty. The first 500E for sale in New Jersey is really meant for someone with a large collection who might drive it a few times a month at most. Given the mileage and the other 500E/E500s we’ve seen for sale here over the past few months, I’d suspect this car will wind up changing hands for between $11,000 and $14,000, if the reserve is reasonable. Certain maintenance items can be pricey, but given the level of durability, performance and refinement, these cars can be a relative bargain when compared to other vintage Mercedes-Benzes.
-Paul
The first car is known to the W124 community. It is over priced and its owner has tried to sell it for this absurd amount before. The headlights have been replaced, possibly with Taiwanese Depot lights, and the wipers have been removed (look at the silver car for comparison). The 500E had one lens for low beam, one for high and dual driving lights in the bumper.
The first car is overpriced by at least $25,000.
The second car will likely sell and is priced more reasonably even if it will require a few thousand to sort it out.
[…] The 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E failed to sell, not meeting its reserve $10,100. It was relisted, but yet again, failed to meet the reserve with a final bid of $7,450: Closed Auction | Our Post on this Car […]
A friend of mine just bought a MINT 60,000 mile 500E for $25,000. A lot of car for reasonable money.
I had a lot of experience with these cars back in the day while working with Hartmut Feyhl at RENNtech.
We made a simple first gear start modification to the transmission valvebody, an ASR switch (to disengage the ASR on launch), and a gear change from 2.82:1 to 3.07:1 which brought this car alive at all RPM’s. Also, Adding the Euro Lenses (you could order directly MB and later from Bekkers Import Corp) removing the headlight wipers using the Euro trim pieces was a common practice as it provided the “city light feature…a prelude to daytime driving lights).
Most who could afford this car back then wished to remove them due to aesthetics but more importantly, to separate themselves from others who buy fake wipers and put them on just about any vehicle!