Benz E320 24V LIMITED Luxury Wagon. 7 Seats.
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Zero Rust Since New. Japan Market Spec. Simply Perfection in a w124.
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DETAILS
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MODEL HISTORY
The Mercedes Benz W124 series was the most successful car range in the company's entire history and today the 124 range is appreciated not only for its design & engineering excellence but also for its longevity & continued practicality. A total of 2,737,860 units of the 124 series were manufactured during just over 11 years in production, with 340,593 estates. Of these, only 18,368 were manufactured as E320 models (built from Sept 1992 to February 1996).
With this many cars produced, being vehicles that last so well, many are still in use today. Some have lived their entire lives as taxis covering mileages that better those completed by long-distance trucks.
Many are still on used daily on roads around the world today, so virtually all parts remain available from MB and other pattern parts brands. Like it's predecessor the w123, this will be another car that remains well supported by MB for decades yet.
Enthusiasm for these cars remains strong worldwide for all the right reasons. The last time we counted, there were over 8 Benz forum communities online with a still strong interest in w124's.
The attention to detail & quality MB put into the final spec. W124 wagon's design should be an inspiration to all car designers today. Unfortunately, these 124's were so good that the owners didn't replace them. And so MB had to reduce its quality and things began to go downhill from the next E class models...
This E320 Limited Wagon was previously owned by a mature non-smoker in Japan who, judging by the car's amazing condition & Tokyo number plate(s) at the time this car was selected by us, clearly appreciated the virtues of a W124.
This is the final & best performing spec. of 124 produced & this particular example has every option we've ever seen on a non-V8 W124, being full Limited Specification, offered only in the Japanese market, as the premium model from Yanase, Mercedes -Benz official importer for Japan.
We ourselves, here at Newera have, despite the wide range of cars we are very familiar with, chosen W124's as our primary cars both in Japan & UK (Modified 300D Turbo & E500) and the reasons are simple: We understand these cars very well and firmly believe that if properly looked after and maintained, these models can provide an excellent driving experience for ourselves & families for decades to come. Choosing a car that won't have to be replaced for another 10-20 years, even perhaps longer, is a wise choice and will save money in the long term. Not least, these cars aren't becoming any easier to find and are now collectable and rising in value as demand for the best far exceeds supply.
For us, out w124's have each become a dependable member of the family, rather than one which must be replaced after a time.
In truth, finding such w124's such as this example is nowadays easier said than done (& getting ever more difficult with each passing year). Sourcing the very best cars is a typical challenge we at Newera Imports have been known for over 2 decades +. This is the very best s124 wagon you'll find, without a doubt.
EQUIPMENT
The extensive list of equipment includes: Full grey leather incl. electrically adjustable front seats with heating, electrically heated door mirrors with electric adjustment for both sides (w/ usual larger size reduced blind-spot passenger mirror), Electric sunroof, Cruise Control, electrically adjustable steering column, Dual temp. control A/C, Original option high power speaker system incl. front door woofers & rear door mounted speakers too (With a Kenwood CD/Radio fitted), Dual SRS Airbags for front-seat occupants, Leather steering wheel with Mahogany wood to match the rest of the interior, Luggage net (Can be used with all rear seats folded too), rear tonneau cover, split foldable rear seats, original option floor mats (See comment on condition & custom-tailored & matched replacements to be included), remote central locking etc. The car smells good and (from the interior & exterior condition) had obviously been kept garaged and in Japan all of its life before being purchased by ourselves and also ever since.
Note the boot area's first aid kit, warning triangle, emergency torch and tool kit are complete & unused.
The doors shut as effortlessly as the day the car left the factory and sound like a high-quality fridge closing - no rattles, just a reassuring solid thud. The boot lid has a soft-locking electro-magnetic mechanism and there's even a leather strap to help close it. Central locking on this example, is of course pneumatic.
Design: Many features demonstrate how much thought & attention went into the design of the s124's rear-end, to add usability. For example, the rear screen wiper operates automatically if the driver selects reverse when the front wipers are in use. There are more interior lights than the saloon too. Effective form & function to the smallest detail.
Having worked on many 124's over the years including our own, we see many design considerations that contribute to the overall integrity of these. Everything from how the bonnet can open & be locked into position completely upright, to the ease of ability to maintain & change parts, there's very little that goes wrong with these and that's a testament to the integrity of the original design by MB.
Some owners of various MB's have said the w124 has what may be the best design of all for a Mercedes dashboard. It's elegance and ease of use, clear instrumentation with excellent lighting, quality of switches, cold air vent in the centre (helps avoid drowsiness in warm cabins), simple yet effective cruise control, speakers integrated invisibly by the A-pillars, simple air conditioning climate controls & illuminated vents. Visibility is excellent too and despite the headlights being Halogen filament type, they're well designed to give excellent lighting and include pneumatic (as opposed to electronic!) headlight level adjustment.
There are few electronics in these, which is largely why the w124 isn't known to suffer significant electrical problems, which sadly are not uncommonly experienced on later models. If an exterior bulb fails, an orange light on the dash will illuminate to warn the driver. This is controlled through a resistance sensor, again - not by un-necessary modern CANBUS data electronics that plague modern MB's not long after they run out of warranty. After the w124, Mercedes began to specify the use of electronics widely, even for simple systems such as the brake lighting circuit. Rather than employing a simple 12v circuit with thick wires, nowadays Mercedes uses thin wires with logic systems. When they fail, OBD2 diagnosis equipment is required. Such things have conspired to make physical wiring a lot thinner, which in turn can break, etc. You'd be forgiven for thinking after the w214 and 201 series, Mercedes-Benz began making their cars less reliable, on purpose.
EXTERIOR
Bodywork, as the pictures show, is excellent. Paintwork is very well preserved and we note a lack of stone chips too (indicating this car's always been driven slowly). There were a couple of small paint chips on the front o/s wing. These were touched-in by ourselves, using MB sourced & perfectly matched paint. Although visible if looking for these, they're too minor to warrant doing paintwork. However, we prefer to mention them, to give a complete report. Note there are ZERO pin dents nor any signs of body filler or accident repairs of any kind to be found on any of the bodywork. Note also that underneath there's no rust to be found on the chassis either. No jacking point corrosion, no rusty subframe mounts, no crusty brake lines. Nothing like that whatsoever.
Compare our example with a car that's been in Europe all its life and you should be prepared to be shocked at the difference. The MOT inspectors who last tested this car were shocked too.
Note this wagon has (rare on these) headlamp wash / wipe fitted. We noted the headlamp wipers are old & the rubber had deteriorated, so these were replaced with new MB-supplied items.
INTERIOR
The integrity of the design of 124's included much attention to aerodynamics, but also especially with regards to sound insulation. The engine bay is separated from the interior by not just one, but 2 walls of steel. This neatly insulates noise from the interior. Underneath the carpet, there is thick foam moulded into the contours of the reinforced floor. Combined with high-quality rubber seals that don't fail and large heavy-duty rubber bushes & excellent suspension design, all these combine to provide a quiet and relaxing ambience in which to travel. In our own 124 saloons here in Japan, we have found ourselves arriving at a destination after a 7-hour drive - refreshed and not at all tired.
Interior Condition on this Limited wagon, is excellent as pictures will show. Leather is in excellent original condition, still soft & supple, further indicating this car has lived an indoor life. Original mats are in good condition (but new ones to be supplied, for best presentation for the new owner). The boot area has barely been used in over 2 decades. The wood veneers on the centre console are all in original condition with no cracking or delamination & door trim mahogany veneers are all without cracks too. All-electric seat adjustments work perfectly & silently, incl. headrest height, etc.
The Leather is all in great condition and appears to have barely been sat on. The rear-facing seat belts are neatly held out of the way when not in use. The rear folding seats appear to not have ever been used, but there's a slight mark in the centre section. This can be repaired in a small extra cost if desired, but we feel it's so minor we feel it's better to leave as is.
Upon arrival to the U.K., we fitted a dual-range (MPH & KM/H) speedometer face for UK & EU Use (Odometer continues in km, so mileage on odometer remains accurate - in line with FSH).
ENGINE & TRANSMISSION
Unlike U.K. cars engine bay has no corrosion at all, anywhere, even in the usually hidden areas of the inner wings.
Looking inside through the oil filler cap, you'd see camshafts are still like new with no crystalised oil deposits. This serves to confirm (& thereafter in the U.K. since arrival, of course). FSH shows it's had very regular oil changes with synthetic oil throughout its life in Japan and the engine is barely worn. Last oil change was less than 1,000km ago.
Signs show this car's been driven slowly and done mostly motorway kilometres (legal limit is 100 km/h in Japan). When originally inspecting this car, we naturally checked and noted the notorious engine loom remained soft and pliable, which helped confirm the car hasn't sat in traffic most of its life, but it has been changed during the last 1,000km in any case, as part of continued no-expense-spared maintenance for a trouble-free future, whilst parts are still available from MB.
The M104 engine has long proven itself as reliable & is known to run without trouble to 500,000km if properly maintained, as this example clearly has been to date.