Photo: Classic Car Auctions
Back when Mercedes-Benz was known for bulletproof designs and world-class quality control, the three-pointed star used to manufacture the 500 E. A go-faster sedan based on the W124, this luxurious land missile was developed in cooperation with none other than Porsche.
Simply put, this E-Class features the M119 engine from the 500 SL of the R129 series. Even back then, the 5.0-liter V8 had four valves per cylinder and a dual overhead camshaft. By comparison, the M275 that evolved into the M279 utilized by Mercedes-AMG and Maybach has three valves per cylinder and a SOHC configuration.
Very few of these models were ever manufactured in Zuffenhausen by Porsche, which at the time had better QC. Porsche started making cars with less attention to detail and of lesser quality after Toyota entered the scene with lean manufacturing methods.
Part of the production was also handled by Mercedes-Benz in Sindelfingen, and as mentioned in the previous paragraph, few examples of the breed were manufactured. From 1990 to 1995, the Germans tallied 10,479 units of which 29 were imported to the United Kingdom.
The car in the photo gallery is one of those models, delivered in left-hand drive and with tartan motifs on the part-leather seats. Ordered by Rowan Atkinson, the 500 E was driven by the British comedian for the better part of four years. The second owner took care of it over the course of 23 years, then Atkinson repurchased the car. As for the current owner, he’s been enjoying the V8-engined sedan for the past two years ago.
Coming with a comprehensive history file and an MOT available until 2020, the 500 E scored 82 out of 135 in the condition report. That’s three stars out of five according to Classic Car Auctions, which means “everyday usable classic car, driven and enjoyed,” and “some vehicle history.”
Turning our attention back to the M119 with 5.0 liters of displacement, two turbochargers were added in the case of the Sauber C9. The Group C prototype won the 1989 edition of Le Mans, and the M119 was also used by the championship-winning Mercedes-Benz C11.
Very few of these models were ever manufactured in Zuffenhausen by Porsche, which at the time had better QC. Porsche started making cars with less attention to detail and of lesser quality after Toyota entered the scene with lean manufacturing methods.
Part of the production was also handled by Mercedes-Benz in Sindelfingen, and as mentioned in the previous paragraph, few examples of the breed were manufactured. From 1990 to 1995, the Germans tallied 10,479 units of which 29 were imported to the United Kingdom.
The car in the photo gallery is one of those models, delivered in left-hand drive and with tartan motifs on the part-leather seats. Ordered by Rowan Atkinson, the 500 E was driven by the British comedian for the better part of four years. The second owner took care of it over the course of 23 years, then Atkinson repurchased the car. As for the current owner, he’s been enjoying the V8-engined sedan for the past two years ago.
Coming with a comprehensive history file and an MOT available until 2020, the 500 E scored 82 out of 135 in the condition report. That’s three stars out of five according to Classic Car Auctions, which means “everyday usable classic car, driven and enjoyed,” and “some vehicle history.”
Turning our attention back to the M119 with 5.0 liters of displacement, two turbochargers were added in the case of the Sauber C9. The Group C prototype won the 1989 edition of Le Mans, and the M119 was also used by the championship-winning Mercedes-Benz C11.
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