Team-BHP
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https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)
For those of us who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s in India, the W124 was the very best car available for purchase from 1995-1997 in the country. There are several ownership threads on TBHP and even a support group dedicated to the car. Attached is historical footage of the car being developed by engineers using a industry first blend of state of the art 1980's technology and hand assembly. No Mercedes since has ever been built to such a high standard by the company's engineers (by their own admission) and properly owned W124s continue to appreciate in value. What's more, original Mercedes Benz spare parts are priced closer to a Skoda than to its newer brethren, and far better at keeping the car running like new.
As an owner of a W123 and W124 for nearly a decade, I can safely state that no other car Mercedes Benz can handle Indian roads and conditions like both these models can. Subsequent newer models have long since fallen to pieces, thanks largely to the reduced role of the engineers and cost cutting by Mercedes Benz marketers, but not the W123/ W124/W126. To build awareness among the TBHP community and promote responsible ownership of these legendary cars, I've started this thread to aggregate archival video, reviews and images of the car.
Please post any old articles, written reviews from Indian magazines and videos from old television shows.
1)
Video of the W124 being designed
2)
Video of the W124 being manufactured
3)
Video of the W124 4Matic in action
4)
Video Description of the W124 (In German but with rare factory footage)
An unforgettable episode where Vicki Butler tries to kill a W124:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saV3hUUry-4
The best W124 ever built (ironically, not by Mercedes, but Porsche!!) - the 500E:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQavLhh80b0
Love the W124s. Because the newest example you can buy today would be 20 years old, it's nearly impossible to find a clean car. And the few owners who have put in the effort to keep their W124s tight don't want to sell them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GTO
(Post 4035362)
Love the W124s. Because the newest example you can buy today would be 20 years old, it's nearly impossible to find a clean car. And the few owners who have put in the effort to keep their W124s tight don't want to sell them.
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Spot on GTO - hence the appreciation of their value in recent years. You won't get an obsessively owned W124 for less than 6-7 lakhs today. IMO, these are still a bargain and will likely appreciate another 20-30% as buyers will prefer these over the junk available for 10 lacs in IN.
This generation of the Merc would have stood out if Slim Shady ever sang "Will the real Merc E Class, please stand up?"
Some interesting facts on the W124 that I have noticed :
How to distinguish between :
The imported W124 (mostly the pre facelift) and the Indian W124 (facelifted W124)?
- Amber turn indicators on the pre and clear lens indicators on the post.
- The pre came with dual tone color (kind of) with the lower panels of a different shade / color than the rest of the body. The Indian W124 came in a single tone color.
- Headlight and grille on the imported W124 was larger than the Indian one. The imported W124 had a grille with a thicker bezel. Also if you notice carefully, the TriStar logo in the imported E was fitted on the grille whereas on the Indian E , it was fitted on the bonnet.
How to distinguish between a E220 (petrol) and the E250D (diesel)?
- the presence of the air vents on the front right fender. This is present only on the E250D.
That's because the licensed to MBIL W124 was the facelifted version, launched worldwide in 1993. The changes introduced were largely evolutionary, which made Telco's kits the best suited for our conditions, aesthetically, ergonomically and economically.
Fact: The R129 SL Class sports car was based entirely on the W124 chassis :D
The W124! Quite an ironic model for me as a car lover.
As most of you know very well, when Mercedes started their official Indian journey almost 20 years back, they started with the W124. But, I recall being very grumpy about it. The W210 was selling aboard during that time and I felt Mercedes was dumping an old model in our country. Somehow, I got a feeling the four eyed E should have been the one Mercedes launched here. I even felt pity for the owners who paid money for a model which was already retired. And if I am not mistaken, I think they launched it with steel wheels and plastic wheel covers. No wonder, I felt so short changed as a car lover.
But, what did I know? lol:
Looking back, those
lucky owners couldn't have made a better decision. Mercedes followed up W124 with one of their worst ever cars. Heck, the W210 looks even older than the W124 now. The latter is timeless and the design is pure Mercedes Benz. The W210 looks very Korean, the W211 fixed that to a large extent and it looks good. Surely, some of you might recall it from Men in Black II.
But, none matches this one, the legend!
So, which is a better choice? Picking a model which is towards the very end of its life cycle or the brand new generation which theoretically should better the older one in most areas. The honest answer is you never know until you look back after a few years. That was my big learning and the mighty W124 taught me that. :D
After the W123, which remains a regal, rare sight on Indian roads, no other car rewards its owner for taking care of it like the W124. I've always known that every factory original MB part I import and install by an experienced specialist is an investment that pays good returns and will last another 10 years. Maybe 20 like its predecessor did. All while appreciating in value :)
I've been told that I can't post articles directly on TBHP, so instead here's a link to another forum where you can read all old press articles on the W124 series.
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w124...-articles.html
Those advertisements are amazing Anjan. I have never seen those ads before and never knew Telco imported Mercs into India - other than the W124 E Class. Were these ads prior to launching the E Class in India?
Yes, those are. Infact, my W124 has been serviced exclusively by ex United Motors workshop managers Firdaus, Cyrus Engineer and Robbie at Ahura Car Care in Byculla (opposite Masina hospital). They are real eccentric characters and don't hesitate to reminisce about some of the incredible Telco imported cars they worked on (think 190SL, Pagodas etc.)
I send my W124 to them because they specialize in the pre-2001 Mercedes models, having cut their teeth on them during the prime of their careers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by v12
(Post 4039032)
Those advertisements are amazing Anjan. I have never seen those ads before and never knew Telco imported Mercs into India - other than the W124 E Class. Were these ads prior to launching the E Class in India?
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Yes indeed, V 12, these were for importing the Mercedes' through Telco (the then name of now Tata Motors), provided the eligibility criteria as desired by the Babudom was met by the potential importer.
These advertisements are from India Today of the 1980's.
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