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The W124 Mercedes-Benz E-class convertible isn’t exactly what you would consider a sporting drive. It’s a thoroughly competent cruiser and can handle itself in the twisties, but this is a car meant to cosset you as you motor, top-down and enjoy the passing scenery at a more relaxed pace. It is, simply, a car to be seen in. Our reader Walker spotted this imported 1993 300CE-24 Cabriolet equipped with a 5-speed manual gearbox, one of a handful that were equipped as such. Imported in 2001 and brought up to US specs, it’s available in Richmond, Virginia with just over 100,000 miles on the clock.
One thing I really love about writing up these 10K posts is a odd combinations pricing allows me to come up with. For today’s post, I decided to do something a little different. Instead of maximizing the budget, I decided to look at it from the perspective of what was a classic 1980s car that you could buy and maintain well under $10,000. Obviously, if you’re willing to shill out much more, there are countless classics you can jump in to turn-key; but under $10,000 means with almost certainty that the car you’ll be getting in to today will be at least in part a bit of a project. Is there anything wrong with that? No, I think there’s an inherent appeal to trying to save and resuscitate a car that was in part neglected or just needs attention. Certainly I’ve tried to do that several times with 1980s cars – with mixed results. Today, I grabbed one classic from the 1980s (give or take, we’ll see…) from each of the major manufacturers – which is the one you’d like to save?
The 1993 Porsche 928GTS we saw last Friday raised the question of how high is too high in terms of mileage. The popularity of the GTS these days still has people clamoring for the well-used examples, given this Porsche’s rarity. Another rarity to emerge from Zuffenhausen did not have the Porsche crest on its hood. Rather, it had the Three-Pointed Star. The 500E/E500 is one of the most legendary Mercedes-Benzes to emerge over the last three decades. Few were built, but they still made an impact. This 500E for sale in Las Vegas has over 188,000 miles on the clock, but has been in the care of just two owners, having been serviced at a Mercedes dealership all its life.
We’re in the midst of planning another Wagon Week here at GCFSB, but until then, let’s take a look at one of our favorite 5-doors, the Mercedes-Benz W124 estate. Long before SUVs like the ML, GL and GLK roamed the earth, Mercedes’ mainstream utility vehicle was their mid-sized estate vehicle. While a few coach builders produced estate variants after World War II, Mercedes’ first in-house effort was the W123 estate of the late 1970s. This car has become the darling of the biodiesel set, attracting folks looking for a bit of panache with their free motoring. The W124 estate did an excellent job of picking up where the W123 left off, combining the classic hallmarks of Mercedes-Benz style with a good balance of luxury, utility and durability that kept customers coming back to the showrooms. This W124 estate for sale in Florida has escaped the ravages of hard duty, showing just under 80,000 miles on the odometer.
Last week around this time, I wrote up a 850 horsepower Brabus-modified E63 Estate. In the realm of nutty cars, it would be certainly barred from coming near any schools for fear of anaphylaxis of the entire student body. It was also the best part of a third of a million dollars, more money than most of America will ever dream of having at one time and even in New England, an amount that would get you a nice home. But in that post, our reader Craig posted a link to a much more affordable option; a W124 300TE Estate modified by Brabus for sale in Germany. Does it scratch the itch or do you need an EpiPen?
