The Mercedes W124: A Modern Classic Daily Driver

In 1984, Mercedes Benz announced the successor to the eminent and well reputed W123 series, which had been in production for close to 8 years. The W123 was a robust car, a symbol of luxury and one that felt quite legitimately immortal, so its successor had a lot to live up to. 

In November 1984, the W124 was unveiled. Designed by the famous Mercedes Benz designer Bruno Sacco, the W124 looked rather futuristic and palatable for the time. Although, the design was boxy it was a welcome change over the W123's super straight lines and angles. Like its predecessor it too had three body styles. The W124 is often regarded as ‘over-engineered' owing to all the quirky features Mercedes Benz put into it stating that they were the future! Some of them include a single mono-wiper to clean the windscreen instead of two, ORVMs that varied in terms of width and a lot more. Mercedes Benz sold the W124 with numerous petrol and diesel engines options across the globe and a monstrous 5.0 litre V8 petrol engine too was produced in collaboration with Porsche (500E, later E500)

In 1993, the W124 was given a complete facelift and was made to look more contemporary. The facelift W124 also happens to be the first ‘E Class', as it was around that time that Mercedes Benz began to use the ‘Class' nomenclature for their cars, which is still in use to this day. The W124 was discontinued by Mercedes Benz in 1995, although in some countries its production continued till 1997.

                  Pre-Facelift                                                                  Facelift

India was late to the party. Sure, one could spot a Mercedes Benz car in a posh locality in a city like Bombay, but those cars were all imported to our country back in the day. Mercedes Benz's official arrival in India was in the year 1995, as a result of Telco-Benz collaboration and the car that sparked it off was indeed the W124. India hence got the W124 at the fag end of its global life, but welcomed it with open arms. There was a decent number of imported pre-facelift W124s in India at the time, some of which are alive to this day. But driving a spanking new Mercedes out of the showroom in India back in the 90s was a massive privilege that only the super-rich could enjoy.

Cars were assembled in Pune and India only received two engine options for the W124 which were considered as watered down compared to what the world got. A 2.2 litre 4 cylinder Petrol engine (E220) and a 2.5 litre 5 cylinder Diesel engine (E250D) were the available options costing 20 and 22 Lakh rupees respectively, ex showroom Mumbai, as of 1995, making it the most expensive car to be on sale in India at the time. Options with respect to the W124s sold in India were also limited. The available colours included Silver, Dark Grey, Maroon, Black, Dark Blue and White. Customers also had the option to choose from two different alloy wheel styles; else they had to go with the basic Mercedes wheel caps.

Both manual and automatic transmissions were offered for the W124 in India, although only a handful of cars sold were actually automatic.

E220 Petrol

E250 Diesel

The W124 was indeed an expensive car for its time and for many in India; it remained a starry dream for the longest time. Despite the price, for those who could afford it back then, it was worth every penny as it was not only robust like its predecessor but also a reliable hunk. Both the petrol and diesel engines were built to last and rarely gave any serious trouble. Several owners have clocked over 6 digit kilometres with their W124s which happily chug along even now. Lack of complicated electronics and gimmicks ensured that a W124 never really gave anyone sleepless nights. Hence, as the saying goes- ‘The W124 is the last true Mercedes !' and rightly so as it is probably the last car that upheld the quality and durability of a Mercedes and showcased what makes a Mercedes a Mercedes…before an era of eccentric electronics took over ! The W124 was discontinued in India in 1998 and replaced by the W210.

It's been well over two decades since the W124 went out of production and today it is regarded as a youngtimer or a young classic car. So is it the car to have for someone who wants to embark onto the path of classic car ownership or just simply satisfy the want for an old Mercedes?  Most certainly !

Not only is the W124 a great car to introduce you to the world of classics, but is also a classic car that can be used daily if needed.

For its time, the W124 was the most well equipped car available in India and as expected, had all the bells and whistles. Reliable engines that rarely give trouble and love to munch miles, combined with limousine level comfort and ride quality, safety features like Airbags and ABS and a decent number of gizmos ensures that it can be used daily to this day. Of course, in congested city traffic it may be a bit of a task to manoeuvre a W124 especially if it's a manual, but otherwise it shall not be a worry. The highway is the best place to maximise the satisfaction of owning a W124 as it's a car that enjoys to cruise and glide along making it a pleasure to drive for long trips. Sure, there are some elements that would feel dated in the W124, one of which is the lack of an infotainment system which we are all so used to now. If originality is not a concern, you can get one retrofitted in the car. But do ensure its done professionally, else it may stick out like a sore thumb. Unlike several members of the star family, the W124 isn't a very demanding car and will rarely cause you to tear your hair out or burn a hole in your pocket. However, it is now a relatively old car and a Mercedes at that, which would require some amount of due attention, although nothing serious, if you go for the right car and take good care of it. A yearly mechanical service at a known garage would help. Spare parts are easier to find as compared to other Mercs, but may require patience to source at times.

In today's used car market, Facelift W124s (petrol and diesel) maybe found for prices between 3 and 5 lakh Rupees depending on certain criteria , while the pre-facelift imported cars might command more.  So let's take a quick look at some pointers that one should address when looking for a W124 in the used car market:-

• Ensure the car is coming from a genuine source, ideally one that is owned by a caring individual.
• Ensure the car has the required documents in order. There are several W124s in India that have expired or sleazy paperwork which must be avoided.
• Analyse the body for corrosion, accidental damage etc. In coastal cities like Mumbai, even W124s can rust badly !
• Check the condition of the cosmetics. There are several cars that are in terrible shape with regard to cosmetics.
• Take a couple of thorough test drives in the car and ensure it is mechanically fit, or accurately estimate the amount of work it needs if at all and make an estimate. Such things help negotiate the price.  
• Ensure the electricals are not tampered. Jugaad Is a favourite of us Indians.
• Ensure the kilometres are genuine and always ask for service history.
• The vacuum system is an integral part in old Mercedes Benz cars and vacuum leaks may have adverse effects on idling, engine performance, and other features such as central locking. Ensure the vacuum system is checked thoroughly by an expert.
• Get the car analysed by a well versed mechanic or Benz expert as part of the final go ahead.
• Take advice from friends, fellow enthusiasts, trained mechanics and get the car at the right price!

So there were a few things one can be mindful of while looking to purchase a W124 today!

Without a shadow of doubt, the Mercedes Benz W124 is one of the most timeless and wholesome cars that India ever got and for those who wish to experience and enjoy the purity of a Mercedes Benz, it would definitely be the most worthy contender.