1995 Mercedes-Benz E220

First registered in 1995, this lovely Mercedes-Benz E220 has had just three previous owners. The odometer reading of around 70,000 appears genuine given the good service history that comes with the vehicle. The vendor has used the car sparingly, only covering around 2,000 miles in the three years he’s owned it – and even those have mainly been in the dry…

Garaged when not being used, it’s being offered for auction with the sort of confidence that only those who’ve sold a W124 Mercedes-Benz can understand. After all, he’s just been to Cornwall and back in it with no problems whatsoever; how many classic cars can offer that sort of peace of mind?

The factory-fitted AMG bodykit has been on the car since it was new, while the Lorinser rear spoiler is thought to be a later addition. All are in fabulous condition, being practically unmarked and finished in the car’s colour of Snow White.

The panel lines are similarly impressive, being tight and even, and the flanks are free of the sort of ripples that plague most urban cars; this is a car that has clearly been cherished over the years.

Of course, given that it is now 23 years old, there is the odd small mark, the most noticeable of which is on the rear bumper; the fact that you probably can’t even see it shows how good the rest of the coachwork is. It’s fair to say that the overall condition is incredible for its age.

The blue fabric hood and lining was replaced four years ago but still looks brand new, remaining water- and wind-proof and sealing impressively well, even at high speed. The previous owner clearly did the job properly, which means there is one fewer £3,000 job for the new owner to do.

The AMG alloy wheels - again, believed to have been fitted from new - are free of scuffs and scrapes. All four tyres have good tread.

However, if we’re being ultra-picky, then we did notice that the nearside front fog-light looks like the reflector is slightly tarnished…

The interior is in typically Teutonic condition, having shrugged off 23 years of use with impressive nonchalance. The seats are free of rips, tears and major scuffs but do show some signs of use, as might be expected. The worst fault we can find is the side trim of the nearside front seat, which is lightly stained. The leather armrest also shows a light patina from a series of elbows over the years. Neither is especially bad and we’re confident that an expert – or even a competent DIYer – could re-colour the leather at very little cost.

Everything else is in very good condition and, of course, all the electric toys, gadgets and gizmos work as well now as they did the day it left the factory, with the exception of the temperature gauge, which can fluctuate a bit now and then.

And yes, the heated electric seats get nice and hot and the air-conditioning blows nice and cold. Oh, and the car even retains its original Mercedes-branded CD/radio headunit.

The owner tells us that the car is in good mechanical order, as well it might having been treated to such a strict – and expensive – servicing regimen. He tells us that it is faultless but, as with any classic car, we’d encourage you to view the car in order to check it for yourself.

The well-stamped service history book shows a combination of main dealer and Mercedes-Benz specialist stamps and the online MOT history check shows absolutely nothing of concern. In fact, it shows absolutely nothing at all, not a single advisory from 2006, when the car’s records start. Now THAT is a testament to the integrity of the W124’s engineering and the care that has been lavished on it over the years. And in that time, it has covered about 20,000 miles suggesting regular use and none of the foibles of stored cars. 

The current MOT expires in October, the vendor is intending to obtain a fresh MOT before sale - we will let you know when this happens.

It also comes with two remote alarm fobs and the owner’s wallet containing the owner’s handbook and various other instruction guides and warranty documents.

PS we have just heard from another The Market customer who happens to have been the car’s previous owner! He states that he completed the quality respray (accounting for the car’s lovely current body condition), replaced the hood, recon’d the wheels, and undersealed the arches. All this serious expenditure was completed as he expected to keep the car for years, but his wife ended up wanting something smaller, and they had no need for 4 seats. He says this with regret, as he knows it was a genuine, low-mileage car and, after his restorative care, something that would have continued offering service for years .

The W124-series is renowned for being almost indestructible, and this delightful E220 cabriolet is a classic example of this; it bears almost no signs of its 23 years and 70,000 miles and remains in rude good health. It also looks more like a five-year-old car than one that eased into its third decade a few years ago.

As for price, we think this will sell for around £12,000, at which price point it should prove to be a solid investment as the price of good W124s (of whatever flavour) have been slowly but steadily gaining in value over the past few years. This is particularly true of genuine, lower-mileage cabriolets like this. Of course, as always with our cars, the reserve is set at an even lower point, which means the canny bidder might just be able to snag themselves a bargain.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen in Hampton, SW London; 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’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.