1994 Mercedes-Benz E220

This post-facelift W124 E220 is powered by the 2.2-litre (2199cc) 16V four-cylinder M111 petrol engine which delivered 148bhp and 155lb.ft of torque through a 4-speed automatic gearbox. An E Class with this drivetrain was never particularly nippy - into double figures on its 0-62mph time but could eventually build up to a top speed of around 130mph and deliver a relatively frugal 32mpg combined.

It was first registered in September 1994 and has since had 8 owners from around the UK who have collectively covered 138,750 miles.

The most recent owner was a member of the Mercedes-Benz Owners Club who looked after the car well and spent around £4,000 on bringing it up to scratch over the last few years. It was then picked up through the club by a collector/dealer who is now selling.

The Onyx Grey Metallic painted bodywork seems in a reasonably good condition, with all panels appearing straight and undamaged. There is slight bubbling on some of the lower panel corners such as the rear offside wing and wheel arches just above where the plastic "Sacco plank" lower side-trims start. Such things are common to the W124 and are worth catching before they take hold.

The body-coloured plastic trims seem to be in remarkably good order with no significant scratches or scuffs that you might typically find. The few chrome trims, such as the front grille and three-pointed star also look pretty good.

This E220 has 15-inch alloy wheels which are in a reasonably good condition with no scrapes or scuffs, just the odd patch of bubbling appearing on a couple of them. The wheels are fitted with Prestivo tyres from 2017 at the front and Avon tyres dated 2019 at the rear - all are showing good tread.

We are looking after this E220 during the sale and would welcome any inspection. Use the ‘Contact Seller’ option to arrange a visit or, if you’d rather, a video call to direct us around the car to get a better look at it in detail.

Inside the car all seems very clean and tidy, the patterned grey cloth (referred to as black on the spec sheet) and velour upholstery seems in good order with no obvious damage, save the usual light wear on the driver seat side bolster. There is walnut wood veneer trim across the door tops, dash and the centre console which is also in good condition with just a slight crack appearing on the front passenger door trim.

The car is fitted with an aftermarket Alpine stereo radio/CD player which is working well along with all other interior equipment we’ve been able to test - including the sunroof and the rear headrests which pop up and down at the press of a button .

The carpets and over mats throughout are mostly in a good condition with just the driver’s mat showing heel wear as you might expect, even from an automatic where one foot has little to do. Better than having the underlying carpet suffer.

The engine bay is as you would expect from a well looked after and relatively young Mercedes-Benz. All looks intact and orderly with hoses, cables and pipework renewed where necessary. There are no signs of rust around the engine bay or under the bonnet.

The undersides of the Mercedes are pretty clean and tidy with no obvious signs of damage. There’s surface corrosion to a number of suspension components and linkages and on some of the fixings, but otherwise all appears solid. The underbody has a good coating of underseal and the exhaust system looks in good order.

In the boot the linings and carpet are intact, with just light soiling to the latter as would be expected from a car in regular use. Under the carpet is a full size spare wheel with Michelin rubber, jack and small tool roll. Under the spare, there is a small amount of surface rust where moisture collects but nothing that appears to have penetrated the metal. The underside of the boot lid itself houses a full warning triangle, as opposed to the fold-up ones you get in most cars.

This E220 has a current MOT certificate valid until October 2021 - passing with no advisories (aside from a note that undertrays are fitted). The online MOT history shows annual testing back to when records went online in 2006. There were 5 failures during that time, the most recent in 2019 for corrosion and broken road springs which were rectified and the car passed a week or so later.

Paper copies of most of the MOTs are present, going back to 1998 when the mileage was recorded as 39,823 and they also track the progression of the car’s mileage up to its current reading.

Additional paperwork includes various garage and parts bills from 2000 onwards. The most recent work includes:

May 2020 - Rear brake discs, pads and pipes

Early 2020 - Small service

Oct 2019 - Front coil springs, catalytic converter, brake pipes, battery

Feb 2019 - Wiring harness, rear springs

Whilst the W124 isn’t the most beautiful Mercedes-Benz, the simplicity of its design is what perhaps makes it a future classic. Just look at how its predecessor, the W123, is now regarded. This car starts and runs smoothly - as can be seen and heard on the accompanying video - and revs without undue noise or any theatrics from the exhaust.

As with most big Mercs, a mileage of 138k is less than half-way to where professional users would consider replacing it and, as it’s a pretty tidy example in a popular colour, we expect it to fetch between £2,000 and £4,000. However, it’s offered for auction with NO RESERVE so it will sell regardless of how cheekily low the highest bid comes in at.

Now that most of us aren’t driving far on a daily basis, such a car would serve equally well as the daily family runabout or as a car to be spruced up and polished for shows on the weekend.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.