RE: Shed Of The Week: Mercedes 300CE

[cookie1600]

Not normally a huge fan of the three-pointed star, but this one has a purity of line and something of an air about it. I'd probably give it a whirl if I was in the market for a luxo-coupe shed.

[323ti]

What a great, great car. And even in a great colour.
Less than a grand? Unbelievable.
Top shed!

[cheshirecruz]

5* shed! And it's not been messed with either. Only downside is that W124s are not the most exciting drive - a contemporary road test described them as 'a dull stew, but beautifully cooked'. Although from memory they can be entertaining near the limit;-)

[Bisonhead]

DeltaTango said:

Bisonhead said:

Very good looking cars, if only they had a modern interior. I can just imagine that thing squeaking away and driving me to suicide!

Have you ever been in one?! My recently sold '94 320 Coupe didn't have a single rattle or squeak after 140k miles.

To be fair, I was in several in Madeira in 2009. Some were tight as a nut, others were squeaking and rattling like a nymphomaniacs bed.

I had a 10 year old Saab that had a, frankly, ridiculous squeak from the seat. sent me mad every time I drove it as it was of a high enough frequency to be heard over loud music

[Ex Boy Racer]

That mileometer reading looks very dodgy - number position is all over the place

[BFleming]

You know you're getting old when you remember seeing prototype shots for the W124 Coupe in CAR magazine all those years ago, and now there's one as SOTW. I've always had a hankering to own any W124. The closest I've got so far was owning 2 W201's (190's don't you know). I was looking at another W201 lately, but might have to scratch that W124 itch instead. They are getting rarer though, you don't see them like you used to, and prices seem to be climbing slightly in the last 18 months. Hard to find one without the wing rot though.
Good - if not great - SOTW.

[ally_f]

I'm struggling to see the appeal here - big, boxy, old without much retro-cool, slow, thirsty, boring to drive and bland inside (not intentionally minimalist, just old so not much going on).

OK so it's nicely built, comfortable and won't squeak - but so's my sofa, and I don't get excited about that.

[Zircon]

Lovely cars - very few designs still look this good from the 80's....

[anonymous-user]

ally_f said:

I'm struggling to see the appeal here - big, boxy, old without much retro-cool, slow, thirsty, boring to drive and bland inside (not intentionally minimalist, just old so not much going on).

OK so it's nicely built, comfortable and won't squeak - but so's my sofa, and I don't get excited about that.

I silently think this when they come up on the bargain barge / sub 1k snotter threads. It's not attractive, it's not old enough to be cool, it's thirsty and slow and most of all I remember Garry Glitters having one in red and it being on the news a lot the first time they caught him for being a nonce. Maybe if I had one for a while I'd get the point.

[sinbaddio]

Such fond memories of my 94 W124 E320. Bought for myself as a 40th present for just over shed money in 2012. I picked my kids up and we went on a UK road trip. Not a creak inside, went superbly, stacks of room and comfort. Was approaching 200k when it was moved on (replaced now by an R129 500SL). Same colour as this one too - with cream leather. Good times.

Poor quality but you get the picture

[mrpenks]

Lovely car. Just shows how far MB have fallen in terms of quality. Early to mid naughties Mercs rot and fall apart faster than a ripe peach left in the sun. Wouldn't touch a new one, too risky. Just a badge/image satisfier nowadays... sad

[Devil2575]

I like it.

[LotusEspritTurbo]

When I was a kid in the late 70s & early 80s, Mercs where something special. The SL, S Class (W126) and SEC where pure class, always to be seen at the right places and driven by the rich and famous. And the 300CE was the last of the understated, well designed cars. Then something went horribly wrong, maybe it was the introduction of the A class, but the brand just went down hill.

[Tin Hat]

Very nice - Great value for money

[Ollywood]

Ran a 320CE for about 5 years. Loved it! I blew a head gasket on the way to devon and drove it back to London… a tank of a car! Loved it to bits and was sad to sell it! Still wish I could have one in my imaginary garage….

[BGarside]

Nice, but the 12v engine wasn't phased out in '89, and continued alongside the 300CE-24 until the facelift in around '93.

Like these. Remember reading a road test on the 300CE in Autocar as a kid (met grey, 15-hole alloys and black leather) and lusting after it

[carinaman]

I was tempted by that late silver one in North Devon that was maintained, worked by the place there that puts V8s in W123s on eBay a few weeks ago. It was a late 320CE. The advert said the previous owner had replaced the loom. I think that 320CE was a manual too.

On first appearance, I am not sure about the rims on shed.

[B10]

Nearly bought one. However the wiring sheathing was crumbling and had much rust.
My subsequent XJ8 not much better!!

[V8 TEJ]

LotusEspritTurbo said:

When I was a kid in the late 70s & early 80s, Mercs where something special. The SL, S Class (W126) and SEC where pure class, always to be seen at the right places and driven by the rich and famous. And the 300CE was the last of the understated, well designed cars. Then something went horribly wrong, maybe it was the introduction of the A class, but the brand just went down hill.

+1

[VolvoT5]

Not a huge Merc fan but this looks quite nice.... I do wonder how well photographed it has been... I reckon it might not look so pretty in the flesh.
But for £950 as long as it isn't rusty as hell it would make a nice daily barge