Volume 2 of the series. 16 pages on buying a W124, from my own research at shows, at auctions and in workshops. Edition 1, as of August 2026. Written in Germany, where most of these cars come from.

„The last real Mercedes“ is a sentence I hear about the W124 more often than about any other car, and usually from people who are about to buy one. That is where it becomes dangerous: anyone who believes they are buying an indestructible car stops checking properly. The range runs from a 2,000 euro winter car to a 500 E well beyond 100,000.

What is inside

• The W124 in outline
• Bodies, engines and special models: saloon, estate, coupé and cabriolet in one table
• Which W124 suits you
• Body and rust: the weak point map, from the underseal to the cabriolet hood hydraulics
• Engine, gearbox and suspension, including the self levelling system
• Interior and electrics, with the wiring loom chapter as compulsory reading
• Parts availability and typical repair costs
• Market prices on the German market, as of August 2026, with the method laid open
• Inspection checklist to tick off, to print or to use on a tablet
• Test drive, negotiation, purchase and what comes after

Format
PDF, 16 pages, in English. Available for download immediately after payment.

A note on the prices
The price chapter describes the German market. Germany is where a large share of these cars are bought and exported from, so the figures tell you what the car costs at the source. They are not a price guide for your own country. Everything else, the weak points, the checklist and the running costs, applies wherever the car stands.

What this guide is not
It is not a substitute for an inspection in person, and it is not a professional valuation. The higher the price, the more you need expertise on site. From the coupé and cabriolet upwards, and certainly for a 500 E, take someone with you who really knows the model.