Mercedes-Benz W124

The Mercedes-Benz W124 is a range of executive cars made by Daimler-Benz from 1984 to 1997. This car family included many different styles, such as sedans, station wagons, coupes, convertibles, and even long-wheelbase versions for special uses.

From 1993, these cars were officially called the E-Class. The W124 came after the 123 series and was later replaced by the W 210 E-Class for sedans and station wagons in 1995, and the C 208 CLK-Class for coupes and convertibles in 1997.

In North America, the W124 began selling in early November 1985 for the 1986 model year and continued through the 1995 model year. The first cars were made in November 1984, with a press event held on Monday, 26 November 1984 in Seville, Spain. People could start buying these cars in Europe from January 1985.

History

The W124 was a mid-sized car platform that started planning in 1976. Development officially began in 1977, and by 1984, the first cars were being made. It had many advanced features for its time, like a low drag coefficient to reduce fuel use and noise, and a special single windscreen wiper that reached the corners of the glass.

The W124 came in different styles, including sedans, estates (station wagons), coupés, and convertibles. It used a special rear multi-link suspension and, for some models, a self-leveling suspension with gas-filled spheres. The estate versions could have five or seven seats, with the seven-seater having a folding rear bench. Production of some models, like the E 320 cabriolet, ended in 1997.

Models

Initial launch range

When production began in January 1985 (with the sedan selling from December 1984), the range had seven models, replacing the seven W123 models.

• The four-cylinder petrol models were the 200 and 230E, both carried over from the previous generation with improved timing and compression for better performance. The 200 had a 1997cc engine with a carburetor, while the 230E, slightly larger at 2299cc, used fuel injection.
• The six-cylinder petrol models were the 260E and 300E. These used a new 2599cc and 2962cc engine, differing only in bore size.
• The diesel models were the 200D, 250D, and 300D with new four-, five-, and six-cylinder engines.
• All engines used a modular overhead cam design with a 15° incline. Petrol engines had breakerless transistorized ignition. Diesels used mechanical injection with a fuel pump/distributor.
• Standard was a 4-speed manual transmission, except on six-cylinder models which had a 5-speed overdrive. A 4-speed automatic was available as an option for all except the 300E, which had a stronger automatic.
• Power steering was standard on all models. Optional features included rear adjustable and self-levelling hydropneumatic suspension with coil springs and anti-lock braking.

1985: Estates, emissions and exports

In July, the range added the 200E, only for the Italian market. This fuel-injected version of the 200 was made to suit Italy's tax rates based on engine size.

The estate, S124, went on sale in September 1985, with models like the 200T, 230TE, 300TE, 200TD, and 250TD. It lacked the 2.6-litre and the 3-litre diesel.

Sales to the United States for the 1986 model year began in autumn with just the 300E sedan. Mercedes-Benz had to modify production for the US market to meet emission and safety rules. The US cars had rectangular sealed-beam headlights but were still 100 kg heavier than European versions, with identical engine performance.

While the United States strictly enforced emission laws, the European Community was more relaxed. The 1970 directive would evolve into European emission standards in January 1993, requiring catalytic converters on petrol cars. Mercedes-Benz began preparing for this in September 1985, marking vehicles with three labels: ECE for unmodified vehicles; KAT for those with catalytic converters; and RÜF (retrofit vehicle) for later installation. Engines with catalytic converters also got the EZL ignition system.

1986: Turbos and catalysts

In September 1986, catalytic converters became standard, but the RÜF version remained as a discount option. This included the carburetted 200 and 200T models, which got a new double barrel carburetor and EZL ignition.

For the American 1987 model year, Mercedes-Benz introduced a turbocharger on the diesel, creating the 300D Turbo and 300TD Turbo models, initially only for the United States. Also for 1987, the 5-speed manual option was removed for the 300E sedan, leaving all American cars as automatics.

1987: Coupés and 4Matics

In early 1987, Mercedes-Benz introduced the 2-door coupé. Compared to the sedan, it had a shorter wheelbase and lower roofline. The range included the 230CE and 300CE, using the same engines as the sedan/estate but with a 5-speed manual standard.

A major new feature for 1987 was the 4Matic all-wheel drive system, developed to compete with Audi's Quattro and BMW's iX system. It used sensors to detect loss of traction and automatically engaged the central differential to drive all four wheels. It was first offered on the 260E, 300E, 300D sedans and 300D and 300TD Turbo estates.

1988: Clean diesel and fuel injection

Mercedes-Benz modified the diesel engines to reduce emissions, resulting in a 40 percent reduction. Aspirated diesels started receiving this technology in February 1989.

Mercedes-Benz also began offering the 200E and 200TE models to supplement the 200 and 200T as new entry-level options.

1989: First facelift and 24 valve

In September 1989, the series had its first facelift. Changes included plastic side panels with bright chrome strips, chrome door handles and hub caps, and body-coloured mirrors. Customers could also choose a sportline trim with tighter suspension, lower driveline, and wider tires.

A major milestone was the introduction of the M104 engine with a double overhead camshaft. Models were designated as the 300E-24, 300TE-24 and 300CE-24, indicating the number of valves. This engine provided a 40 hp boost without reducing fuel economy.

1990: Exports, EGR and overdrive

In June 1990, two Italy-specific models were introduced: the 250TD Turbo estate and the 200CE coupé.

In 1990, diesels returned to the US market for the 1991 model year with turbocharged five-cylinder engines, badged as 300D 2.5 Turbo and 300TD 2.5 Turbo. Standard on US models and optional elsewhere was exhaust gas recirculation used with particulate filters and oxidation catalysts.

The W5A 030 722.5 automatic transmission debuted for M104 engine models, featuring an additional overdrive module. 1990 also marked the end of carburettors, as the final 200 and 200T were built in June.

1991: 500E

The high-performance 500E was presented in October 1990, with production starting in February 1991. It used a 5.0 L V8 engine based on the one used in the 500 SL roadster, developed in cooperation with Porsche. Porsche also built the chassis for the 400E.

1992: Petrol DOHC and cabriolet

Mercedes-Benz introduced DOHC technology across the mid-range. All engines except the 2.0 litre M111 gained Bosch LH Jetronic fuel injection and reverted to a 10.0 compression ratio.

Mercedes-Benz also began production of the A124 Cabriolet. After the W111 cabriolet ended in 1971, this was its revival, enabled by structural reinforcements and safety features from the R129 SL.

1993: The E-Class

In August 1993, Mercedes-Benz released the second facelift of the W124. Changes included a new radiator grille integrated into the bonnet, pearl-coloured turn indicators, and revised taillights. The estate's rear end remained unchanged.

The petrol engines stayed the same for the sedan, estate, and coupé, while the cabriolet gained the 2.2 litre M111 and 3.2 litre M104 engines. The DOHC transition continued on the diesel range.

The W124 series was renamed the E-Class. The letter E originally stood for Einspritzung ("injected") but later signified Executive. Body style attributes like C or T were dropped. Diesel cars were given a "Diesel" or "Turbodiesel" badge.

AMG models

The relationship between Mercedes-Benz and AMG evolved. In the late 1980s, AMG assisted with DTM entries and expanded its product line. In 1990, AMG aftermarket parts were offered by Mercedes-Benz on new cars. In 1991, a small batch of 300E-24 3.4 AMG was made, boring out the 3.0 litre M104 engine. This led to a full partnership in 1993, with AMG models now featured in Mercedes-Benz showrooms.

The facelifted E-Class included the E36 AMG models for the estate, coupé, and cabriolet, where the 3.2 litre M104 was bored and stroked to 3604 cc, increasing power and torque by almost 25%. For the sedan, AMG offered a performance upgrade to the M119 engine, creating the E60 AMG, the top-performing sedan at the time.

1995–1997: End of production

With the debut of the W210 E-class sedan in June 1995, production of the W124 wound down, with the last vehicles leaving Sindelfingen in August. Mercedes-Benz officially entered India in 1995; the E250 Diesel and E220 continued to be supplied as CKD kits to the Chakan plant until June 1996. Estates lingered until February 1996, with coupés following in March 1996, and cabriolets until July 1997.

Masterpiece

In some countries, the final batch of W124 was sold as the limited edition Masterpiece in 1995. These included additional accessories like a walnut wood steering wheel, a front passenger airbag, and unique pieces like a gear knob engraved with Masterpiece and stainless door sills engraved with Mercedes Benz.

Commercial vehicles

The W124 platform was changed to make special vehicles. Together with the Binz company, they made a longer six-door car in 1989. This car, called the V124, had an extra 800 mm section at the middle with two more doors and a seat that faced forward. They started making the V124 250 D and 260 E in May 1990. The 260 E was later changed to the 280 E and then called the E 280 in August 1993. The 250 D got a new engine in August 1993 and was called the E 250 Diesel. They made 2,342 of these six-door cars before stopping in July 1994.

The S124 estate version was used to make commercial vehicles like ambulances, hearses, vans, and motorhomes. Companies like Binz, C.Miesen, Visser, Rappold, Pollmann, Stolle, Welsch, and others made these. They came in short (F124) and long (VF124) wheelbases, with the long one being 650 mm longer. The main cars they used were the petrol 230 E and 260 E, and the diesel 250 D. Later, these were changed to the 280 E/E 280 and the OM605 motor E 250 Diesel. By the end of 1995, they had made 1,266 short wheelbase and 5,132 long wheelbase chassis.

Technical parameters

The table shows the time from when the cars were first made until production ended, according to Daimler. Daimler says production started in November 1984, but some early models were made in 1985 before regular sales began. No cars were delivered to customers in 1984. The W124 was also made as a longer-wheelbase saloon for taxi companies, and a more luxury version was used as a limousine.

Build quality

The Mercedes-Benz W124 was known for being very reliable. In 1995, a version with a diesel engine was ranked best in its class in a reliability test by the German Automobile Association (ADAC). For four-year-old cars, it had 11.8 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles, and for six-year-old cars, it had 21.6 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles. This was better than the Audi 100s, which had 14.6 breakdowns for four-year-old cars and 27.3 for six-year-old ones.