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 produced, being vehicles that last so well, many are still in use today. Some have lived their entire lives as taxis covering huge mileages. 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 123, this will be a 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 communities online with a strong interest in the 124's. The attention to detail & quality MB put into the final spec. W124 wagon's design should be an inspiration to car designers today. Unfortunately, these 124's were so good owners didn't replace them, so MB had to reduce its quality and things began to go downhill from the next E class models... This E320 Limited Wagon has been owned by a mature non-smoker who, judging by the car's amazing condition & Tokyo number plate(s), clearly appreciated the virtues of a W124. This is the final best performing spec. of 124 produced & this particular example has an extensive list of factory options, not usually found on examples supplied in Europe. Being a September 1995 example, this is one of the very last off the production line too. Many features demonstrate how much thought & attention went into the design of the 124'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 124 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 (with quality separate tweeters installed via cross-overs), simple A/C controls & illuminated vents. Visibility is excellent too and despite the headlights being Halogen filament type, they give excellent lighting and include pneumatic (as opposed to electronic!) headlight level adjustment. In this car the headlights have been uprated to HID also. Usually - by design, there are few electronics in these, which is largely why the 124 isn't known to have electrical problems 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. Mercedes felt the need to use electronics to switch on brake lights rather than a simple 12v circuit with thick wires, as a need to have OBD2 diagnosis, but these things have conspired to make physical wiring a lot thinner, which in turn can break, etc. You'd almost be forgiven for thinking they went this direction on purpose...! The integrity of the design of 124's included much attention to aerodynamics, but also especially with regard to sound insulation. The engine bay is separated from the interior by not just one, but 2 walls of steel. This insulates noise from the interior. Underneath the carpet, there is thick foam moulded into the contours of the reinforced floor and 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 saloon here in Japan, we find ourselves arriving at a destination after a 7-hour drive - refreshed and not at all tired.