Wanderlust

Tag: W124

  • EU Market Find: Great Spec Manual Mercedes C124 E 300 Coupe

    EU Market Find: Great Spec Manual Mercedes C124 E 300 Coupe

    What: 1990 Mercedes-Benz E300
    Color: Surf Blue a.k.a. Deep Blue (surfblau; non-metallic; 900; Mercedes-Benz)
    Chassis #: Unknown
    Mileage: 52,000 km, 32,311 miles
    Price: €43,000
    CarFax: N/A
    Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: Lestizza, Italy
    Private Seller Listing: Link

    Why We Love It:

    Log this car in as under the tasteful and rare factory specifications column, and maybe something you only would find in a market like Italy. Yes, it appears to be an order guide specification, but its combination an exercise in extravagance more akin to a passionate Italian than a logical German.

    The car in question is a 1990, a C124 (a.k.a. coupe-version of the W124 E Class). While its 3-liter V6 engine wasn’t the V8 of its era, it was still an extravagance in markets like Italy that love to tax displacement. Also, the V6 still came with a manual as did this car, making it exceedingly rare in Mercedes-Benz circles where automatics were even ubiquitous during this era.

    While the ad doesn’t confirm it, we believe this car was painted Surf Blue (a.k.a. Deep Blue) that was offered in that model year. While that medium blue hue isn’t quite as eye-catching as some other cars in the palette, it’s handsome and bold in context of what was offered. Now throw in red leather and it bestows the car with the flair you’d expect from a wealthy Italian buyer.

    This car isn’t an AMG, nor is it the era darling that was the Porsche-developed 500 E. In as much, it’s more obscure. However, for a Mercedes collector or someone seeking something truly unique, we think it qualifies.

    This is one of our Euro market finds, so the usual caveats apply for our primarily North American readership. For Europe and other markets, we focus on cars older than 25 years, meaning a relatively easy import into the USA. This is often done by working with firms such as our friends at Orchid Euro, you can have the car purchased, transported to port, shipped to America and cleared through customs for clients seeking this sort of service.

  • EU Market Find: Parisian 1992 Mercedes 300 3.4 AMG in Crystal Green

    EU Market Find: Parisian 1992 Mercedes 300 3.4 AMG in Crystal Green

    What: 1992 Mercedes-Benz 300 CE 3.4 AMG
    Color: Crystal Green Metallic (kristallgrün; metallic UNI; 256; Mercedes-Benz)
    Chassis Number: N/A
    Mileage: 100,500 km, 62,447 miles
    Price at Time of this Writing: €95,000
    CarFax: N/A
    Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: Casting Automobiles, Paris, France
    Dealer listing: Link

    Why we love it:

    Likely due to rarity, it’s not uncommon to see a W124-generation Mercedes-Benz 300 CE coupe built by AMG crossing the six figure mark. Transaction prices approaching six figures (actually passing them by the time you convert to U.S. dollars and import) aren’t something we typically see of 1990s era cars from Mercedes-Benz. However, make them a well preserved AMG and it’s a whole new ballgame.

    If you’re a connoisseur of these cars, then we think it’s worth pointing your attention towards this particular specimen – a tone-on-tone coupe in a rare color of Crystal Green Metallic paired with green-tartan seating. It appears to have originated from Japan, though can now be found at a specialty dealer in Paris, France.

    Translating the listing gleans a few more notes about the car based around option codes. Where’s what it says:

    • 916 VEHICLES FOR HOT COUNTRIES – ADDITIONAL PARTS, HEATED REAR WINDOW
    • ORIGINAL JAPANESE CAR CRYSTAL GREEN (256U) with PINE CANVAS (066)
    • 221 LEFT FRONT SEAT WITH ELECTRICAL ADJUSTMENT
    • 222 RIGHT FRONT SEAT WITH ELECTRICAL ADJUSTMENT
    • 240 EXTERIOR TEMPERATURE INDICATOR
    • 341 ADDITIONAL INDICATORS
    • 425 5-SPEED AUTOMATIC GEARBOX
    • 430 HEADRESTS, TINTED UPPER PART
    • 600 HEADLIGHT WASHER-WIPER DEVICE
    • 613 LEFT-HAND DRIVE HEADLIGHTS
    • 664 20 LITERS OF FUEL AND VE III PACKAGING MODE
    • 802 CHANGE OF MODEL YEAR, LAMINATED GLASS

    Now, throw in the fact that this is a fully-built and well-preserved AMG model constructed on the W124 chassis a full 13 years ahead of Mercedes-Benz’s own buyout of AMG and you have a thoroughly interesting specimen for a serious MercedesBenz collector.

    This is one of our Euro market finds, so the usual caveats apply for our primarily North American readership. For Europe and other markets, we focus on cars older than 25 years, meaning a relatively easy import into the USA. This is often done by working with firms such as our friends at Orchid Euro, you can have the car purchased, transported to port, shipped to America and cleared through customs for clients seeking this sort of service.