The W124 chassis Mercedes-Benz is one of the best sedans the company has made, a thoroughly competent package that was built for long highway drives. Featuring the venerable “bank vault” sensation when you close the doors and an inline-six that feels like it can live forever, the 300E is a modern classic that offers heaps of practicality and relatively low operating costs. This example is a super rare Sportline model, which featured a sport suspension, unique front and rear bucket seats with thicker bolsters, wider wheels, and more. Find this limited production 300 here on eBay with bidding at $6,600 and no reserve.
The basic mechanical recipe remained the same, 3.2L inline-six found in the standard 300E range. With just under 69,000 original miles, this drivetrain is barely broken in. The seller doesn’t specify any recent maintenance performed, but confirms it starts and runs without issue and the standard four-speed automatic shifts smoothly through the gears. Paintwork is said to shine nicely and it’s evident that this 300E was garaged throughout most of its life – there’s also no indication of bumper bashing or door dings looking down the sides.
The Sportline interiors are identifiable by front bucket seats with thicker bolsters and two bucket seats in the rear, separated by a partition covered with gleaming wood trim. Speaking of trim, a tell-tale sign of heavy use or straight-up neglect is that the wood trim loses its luster or begins to crack. This example looks near-new in all the places Mercedes installed the high-end trim, including the dashboard, center console, storage cubby, and the aforementioned rear partition. Not every 70K mile W124 has trim that looks this good, so this Sportline has definitely been loved. The carpets are mint as well.
The Sportline package featured firmer suspension, wider tires and wheels, quicker steering box, lowered ride height, and custom badges on the exterior and on the shift knob. The Sportline cars were offered in the 300E and 190E model lines, and are highly cherished today by Mercedes collectors. The 190E actually seems easier to find by comparison, and it seems like the 300E Sportline had a lower take rate overall – making a survivor like this one even more special. Throw in the fact that this is a car you can literally get in and drive across country tomorrow, and it’s a clear winner in my book at any price under $12K.
I’ve had several Mercedes over the years, and swore off them after my last one, a 380SE. While I owned that one the MB mechanic I always requested, a great guy, said any 300E was the best car they ever built and the only model series he personally would own. Hmmmmmm……….maybe time to rethink, I’m looking around at used cars for a DD.
I bought my first one in the 70’s, a ’59 180A for $95, and a couple more in the ’80s and ’90s, an ’87 420SEL and a ’93 300E just like this one. The 420SEL was a great car and my wife could have killed me for selling it (I liked it too but knew there was expensive maintenance on the way). The 300E had a nasty habit of SHUTTING DOWN when you pulled out in front of traffic. After that, I was done with Mercedes for good – and based on their typical reliability reports for the last couple of decades, I did the right thing.
Sounds like your 300E suffered from the engine wiring harness with the “eco-friendly” (some inaccurately call it “biodegradable”) insulation insulation that disintegrates with time and heat.
All Benzes made from ’92-97 had this problem, so by now many have already had their engine harness replaced with an updated version that doesn’t have the insulation problem. If the temp sender wiring on the thermostat housing has any lime green wiring, it’s still the original eco-junk harness; an updated harness should have a black wire on the single-wire temp sender or a blue-and-brown two-wire sender.
Ones that haven’t been updated can be had for a bargain if the owner doesn’t know the reason for their “mysterious” problems, esp. if you’re willing and able to replace the harness yourself. It’s not a difficult job, just time consuming — just lay the new one alongside the old and go down the length swapping one connection over at a time.
Now this is what a timeless design looks like. Just to show I don’t always just pick on the poor hapless C4 Corvette, the 2003-09 W211 E Classes didn’t age well either and were not timeless.
Gorgeous! I had a white non-Sportline and loved that car. Nice find, Jeff, I would love to have this one and it would look great parked next to your 190E 2.3-16V. Which now that I mention it, we need an update on!
This is the 300E 24 valve model. Very interesting engine. I had the 12v one. Be carefull with the wiring harness on the 24v…
Exactly. This is a great car with a tragic flaw. It turned out to be a harbinger of every disposable rental car reunified Germany has built since.
The harness is cheap to buy and easy to replace. Ebay or the various Mercedes forums usually have several Delphi branded harnesses for sale for $2-300. The 3.2L 24v engine is a great one.
Wow. That’s about like saying that gravity isn’t really a thing.
Started out at Auction in St Louis, Now is for sale at Auction in Maryland. Looks like a lot of armoural & spray wax. Questionable mileage on report ? Front drivers seat looks a little squishy. $ 1000 at Auction, Maybe.
Is it a 24V 6 cylinder or the earlier version? I seem to have what I think was a 300-24 E320 Coupé which is still one of those vehicles I’d 💜 to own.
It IS the 24V 6 cylinder 3 liter version. The listing says it’s the 3.2 liter, but I think they are mistaken. The 3.2 liter was on the phase 3 versions of the W124 if I recall well. This car seems to have been “shiny plastic prepared” and some tell tale signs make me wonder if it has been really pampered during its lifetime. Under the “Sports Line” badges, on the edge of the front carpets, the white paint being wiped off on the light and cruise controls, 2 screws missing under the dash near the parking brake, side of the seats that seem to be dirty or unable to clean them back to almost new condition, center consol plastic yellowed, aluminium surface corrosion and a lot of other details. Makes me think that the shiny stuff is trying to dazzle me so I can’t see the important things.
These 24 valve models are quite fast too. The top speed isn’t limited like it is in later models and my 300E 24Valve Sportsline will run out to redline in top gear, at 165+ mph. The Sportsline lowered suspension, quicker steering ratio, and bigger brakes, (from the S-class V12 models at the front) make it a very nice car to drive. When new, UK Autocar magazine placed a Sportline 24 valve ahead of an E34 535 for handling and steering as well as ride. So these cars are about as good as it gets.
I want it! This is the best car for the money(that MB ever made) and not a MONEY PIT monster! This combo of Sportsline trim & in line 6 is pretty much bullet proof, Too bad MB can’t make this type of great cars that doesn’t break your bank to own.
My 1986 300E had the strangest engine failure I’ve ever seen in a car– one of the cam towers/bearing caps cracked in half one day. I took it off, disconnected the spark plug wire, and drove it on 5 cylinders until I could get a new one from Mercedes.
SOLD for $9,100.