A German car dealer is selling what is possibly the cleanest Mercedes-Benz 230 E this side of 1992. The dealer, Mechatronik, specialises in classic (expensive) Benzes and is asking for an outrageous of amount of money for a “new” 1987 230 E. This clean W124 sedan will set you back almost $US60,000 ($76,956).
The dealer says the car is new because it has just 995 kilometers on the odometer, or about 995 km. The rest of the car is as pristine as the four-cylinder engine in the 230E. The whole thing is in such immaculate shape, that it’s not so much a car anymore as it is a time capsule, according to Diariomotor.
I can see why the car could be considered a time capsule, but I don’t know that I agree with that. Mechatronik says that the car went straight from the showroom into storage, and goes into detail about its history:
The vehicle offered here was delivered to the Mercedes-Benz branch in Braunschweig on May 27, 1987 and presented as an exhibition vehicle in the local showroom. After about a year in the showroom, the decision was made to store the car. This 230e remained in this beauty-sleep for the next 33 years!
Unused and in absolutely new car condition. In March 2021, a dealer discovers this time capsule and purchases the vehicle in order to offer the vehicle for sale to our company immediately afterwards. And so this W124 230e, which can still be described as a new car, is now for sale from us.
We hand over this collector’s vehicle including a new customer service, as well as a new TÜV approval.
I still don’t think this should be a show-piece, though. It’s a base model Merc’, after all. There’s no fancy options on this thing. It has hubcaps, and crank windows and cloth seats. The fabric pattern is actually prettier than the leather found in the M-B sedans from this era, if you ask me.
In other words, this is the perfect daily driver. There’s just very little that can go wrong in this car.
Of course, all of the rubber and plastic in the chassis is likely to need a refresh but that basic Benz needs to be back on the road. It’s even already passed the notoriously difficult TÜV inspection, according to the dealer. Someone please save this stately car from a life of boredom and get it back to commuting.
