If you haven’t yet seen this internet sensation, you probably will have no idea what the headline or name is associated with; the image likely won’t help. Sure, it’s got Gullwing doors and the rough profile of a C124, but what’s going on here? Well, in an effort to make the C124 even cooler, Hartmut Boschert threw the Mercedes-Benz parts bin and some trick components at one. This was the result; an R129-borrowed front and and seats grafted on to the 300CE, a relocated C-pillar, and…oh yeah, those doors. Not done, Boschert added two turbochargers to the motor. The result is one of the craziest – and coolest – period modded Mercedes-Benz models not sporting an AMG badge.
Not that they weren’t valuable before, but it certainly seems like collectors or “want-to-be collectors” are trying to grab every little piece of pre-merger AMG stuff they can get their hands on. The thing is, no one really knows what is all out there and where they are at. Being that they were produced à la carte-style at several different AMG subsidies around the world and record keeping was rather sparse, tracking these cars is difficult at best, and the possibilities were endless in terms of how tame or how crazy you wanted to go. One car might get some bumpers and side skirts, while the one being built beside it might get widebody treatment and a 6.0-liter swap. Once they were finished, off they went to who-knows-where.
Today’s car, a 1992 300CE, is somewhere in the middle. It has the classic AMG bodykit, Monoblock wheels, and an M103 with bumped-up displacement to 3.4 liters. Sadly there is no 6.0 here, but surely it is a great looking automobile and still can be fun. This one is up for sale in central Paris of all places has a fair amount of miles, and is priced somewhat reasonably considering what we saw another 3.4 car sell for back in May.
Hug your W124s, treat them well, because they aren’t getting any younger and the surely aren’t making any more of them. As the years grind on, the W124 Mercedes-Benz, especially the coupe, seems to make more and more sense to me. A stately design that isn’t trendy or offensive in any way. The proportions are correct and is it is utilitarian as much as it is styled for the sake of looking good. Inside, everything you need, nothing you don’t. The closest thing for a screen you’ll get are some 8-bit readouts on the radio and temperature display. Under the hood, either the trusty M103 or M104, depending on the year. The 1993, like the one we have here today up for sale in Florida, is a one-off specification for 1993 as it has the pre-facelift body, but the 3.2-liter M104 as opposed to the older 3.0-liter M103. Want the updated engine but like the pre-facelift body? Here ya go.
I personally think one of the more overlooked Mercedes-Benz that is still relatively affordable is the W124 coupe. It’s starting to get in that sweet spot of becoming old enough to be classic, but all the equipment is still modern enough, both safety and amenities, that you are perfectly fine driving it everyday. Nothing will kill you in terms of maintenance or repairs, and even since it is a W124 at the end of the day, it shouldn’t be that unreliable at all. What’s not to like?
I think the days of picking up a nice W124 Mercedes-Benz coupe for very little money is probably over. I remember only a few years ago where a decent example could be had for $4,200 or so and everyone would leave happy. The last year or so? Not so much. Most have been trading in the $10,000 ballpark with some really nice examples selling for much more. Yes, you can probably find a handful of 300CEs that need some love for much less than 10k, but how much as you spending to get it back up to snuff?
That brings me to today’s example, a 1990 up for sale New Jersey that has just over 100,000 miles on the odometer. It looks to be well looked after and not beat up at all. But I think the problem with this car is interesting color scheme of Signal Red with the slightly darker lower cladding. Is it garish? Probably. Is it old enough where a crazy paint scheme is now considered cool? Maybe so.
