Registration No: E5 OGO
Chassis No: WDB1240361C082946
MOT: October 2023

• 1 of just 1,855 facelift examples produced
• Imported to the United Kingdom from the car-friendly climate of Japan in 2021
• Hand-built by Porsche and fitted with a naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8 producing 322bhp @ 5,700 rpm
• Finished in arguably the most desirable colour combination of Blue-Black paintwork (199U) with Anthracite leather (271) interior
• Undoubtedly the 'Q-car' of the 1990s

The ultimate 'wolf in sheep's clothing' of the 1990s, the W124 500E saloon was built to rival the BMW M5 and was created in close cooperation with Porsche. With its engineering department fully occupied with the development of the new S-Class, Mercedes-Benz commissioned Porsche in 1989 to redesign the W124 chassis to enable the 5.0-litre V8 from the SL to be shoehorned in, along with the necessary changes to the suspension system and drivetrain. The new stealth saloon offered few visible clues on the outside except for very slightly flared wheel arches, wider tyres and discreet side skirts. 60mph arrived in just 5 seconds and 100mph in just over 14 seconds, remarkable for a car with such 'stately' presence. It was only available as a hand-built, four-door saloon in left-hand drive and the low production numbers rendered it an instant classic with only seven being officially imported into the UK. The production process involved each and every 500E being transported back and forth between the Mercedes plant and Porsche's Rossle-Bau factory in Zuffenhausen; each car taking a full eighteen days to complete. The 500E was facelifted along with the rest of the W124 range in 1992, to become the E500 E-Series, but the car remained pretty much unchanged in its appeal.

Manufactured in 1993, chassis number WDB1240361C082946, is one of just 1,855 facelift examples produced and is finished in arguably the most desirable colour combination of Blue-Black metallic paintwork (199U) with complementing Anthracite leather (271) interior upholstery. Specified from new with an electric sliding roof, electric front seats with heating and memory, automatically dipping rear view mirror, electric steering column, folding armrest, air-conditioning, heat insulated glass all-round, and uprated sound system, the E500 features the naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8 engine (producing 322bhp @ 5,700 rpm) allied to the four-speed automatic transmission.

Imported to the United Kingdom from the car-friendly climate of Japan in 2021 by a well-known member of the Mercedes-Benz Owners Club in the UK, the E500 has been in the ownership of the vendor since late 2021. With approximately 258,000 kilometres (equating to some 168,000 miles) recorded on the odometer, the E500 appears to have worn its mileage very well and is (unusually for Japanese imports) accompanied by a large selection of paperwork from the cars time in Japan. This Japanese documentation includes a large number of servicing and inspection paperwork, as well as maintenance invoices, with significant mechanical improvement completed in 2010. We have had the documents translated into English, which can be sent to interested parties upon request.

Further documentation includes with a few previous MOTs, a current MOT until October this year, and a current V5C, with the E500 accompanied to sale by the apt registration number ‘E5 OGO’. Undoubtedly the 'Q-car' of the 1990s, and with so few imported to British shores, this example would make a superb cross-continental cruiser, weekend driver, or would make a great addition to any collection.

For more information, please contact:
Paul Cheetham
paul.cheetham@handh.co.uk
07538 667452