This 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E was originally sold new in Lexington, Kentucky where it remained dealer serviced with the original owner until 2019 where it joined a collection and was then sold on The MB Market last year. The car features a clean Carfax showing just two owners from new. Finished in Black Pearl Metallic (199) over Anthracite Leather (271), this 500E is powered by a 5.0L M119 V8 and paired with a four-speed automatic transmission driving the rear wheels. A major service in February of 2023 included replacing suspension components along with the water pump, thermostat, oil pan gasket, spark plugs, lower wiring harness, fuel filter, valve cover gaskets, camshaft seals, a coolant and transmission fluid flush, and air conditioning compressor with dryer. The most recent service by the current owner includes a new fuel filter, fuel pumps, and a three-step paint correction. Equipment includes a power-operated sunroof, lower front fog lights, 16″ alloy wheels, Automatic Slip Control, power-adjustable and heated front seats, automatic climate control, cruise control, and a Becker Grand Prix stereo. This 500E shows just over 56k miles and is being offered by the selling dealer with the owner’s manual, service records, a tool kit, original leather key sleeve, a clean Carfax, and a clean Kentucky title.
The car is finished in Black Pearl Metallic (199) with gray lower body cladding. Equipment includes lower front fog lights, headlight wipers, 500E-specific headlights, and a power sunroof. The 500E comes factory fitted with flared front and rear fenders along with widened bumpers and side cladding to match compared to a standard W124. All 500E's were assembled on a Porsche assembly line due to their widened track and then sent back to Mercedes-Benz for completion with each car taking eighteen days. The car features a facelift update at the front including an updated waterfall style hood, grille, and headlights from a 1994 E500. The current owner has done a three-step paint correction in preparation for the sale. 199 Black Pearl Metallic has a fragile clear coat that crazes over time and this car exhibits none of those side effects. The seller has added clear paint condition photos to the gallery.
Factory 16″ 8-hole wheels are mounted with Continental ExtremeContact DWS 06 Plus tires measuring 225/55 on all four corners with 2021 date codes. The 500E featured Porsche-tuned suspension with a lower ride height than contemporary standard W124 models and also required a wider track for better handling. The seller reports a brake fluid flush was performed in 2019. The rear end links, front spindle bushings, control arms, tie rods, and wheel-speed sensors were all replaced in February 2023. The 1992 500E sports 300x28 mm front brakes which were pulled off of the R129 and this example appears to be fitted with the ATE four piston calipers.
The cabin features front and rear Recaro designed sport seats upholstered in Anthracite Leather (271) which is also continued on to each door card. Burl wood trim accents the dashboard, center stack in the front and rear, and door panels. Minor cracks in the wood veneer can be seen around the window switches. Equipment includes power-adjustable and heated front seats, dual front airbags, an electric rear roller blind, automatic climate control, and a Becker Grand Prix stereo. The Becker head unit was rebuilt in 2019 along with the shifter bushings, air conditioning compressor, and dryer being replaced in February 2023. Floor mats are missing.
The four-spoke burl wood and leather Sportline steering wheel frames VDO instrumentation that includes a 160mph speedometer, a 7k-rpm tachometer, an analog clock, and gauges for coolant temperature, fuel level, and oil pressure. The speedometer gears were replaced in February 2023 and the six-digit odometer shows just over 56k miles. The 500E also got a shorter rear end with a 2.82 gearset which gave quicker acceleration and let the car sit in a better power band on the highway – note the lower “end of gear” notations on the speedometer cluster compared to a 400E. The 500E also got the smaller 390mm Sportline steering wheel over the 400mm standard leather wrapped steering wheel seen in the more common models.
The 5.0-liter M119 V8 was factory rated at 322 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque when new. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed 722.3 automatic transmission. The Carfax report shows 32 service history records, 31 being at the same dealer during the original owner's tenure which ended in 2019. The most recent service was performed by Mercedes-Benz of Nashville. The faux leather air intake boot covers are still intact. The air conditioning control module and an oil change was performed in 2019 along with a brake fluid flush. The current seller changed the fuel filter and fuel pumps in preparation for the sale. The previous owner performed major service in February 2023 included the replacement of the following parts:
In preparation for the sale a thorough 3-step paint correction was performed.
The seller has included the following videos:
Some of us at The MB Market will argue that Mercedes-Benz peaked with the 124.036 500E/E500. It was the last performance hurrah of the W124 before the Chrysler merge and Mercedes-Benz threw the top of the line 5.0-liter M119 into the W124 with a lot of R129 front suspension and braking components. It’s a home grown OEM+ E420 build from the factory. Porsche was desperately scraping together 964s, 968s, and 928s together with just over 4,000 units sold in the U.S. They were near bankruptcy and had hit rock bottom, but were building arguably their best cars ever. Being neighbors in Stuttgart, Mercedes-Benz threw the 500E to Porsche since they were an engineering consulting company to begin with as the widened 124.036 couldn’t fit down the assembly line. Mercedes-Benz wanted to see their competitors succeed. And thus, one of the best cars the brand built came to be. This 500E sports the most desirable color to enthusiasts and has the very light and very rare 8-hole wheels from the R129 still attached. The low miles paired with the big service in 2019 makes this car turn key. Another major plus is the lower writing harness having been done. There’s only a few people out there that still build these since they are NLA, so they’re hard to come by. The updated glass headlights from a facelift car and the pre-facelift bumper give it a butch look we love. The collector grade miles certainly add to the appeal.
Open Transit:
Enclosed Transit:
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10 Comments
@ilpatino You're very welcome! Thank you!@pricklypear@seller; thank you for the elaboration. Much appreciated.@ilpatino No problem! No apology needed. :) No, we did not buy it from the previous MB Market member. We purchased the car through dealer auction. We are not sure under what circumstances the previous MB Market member sold the vehicle, but since it was at dealer auction, he very well could have traded it into a dealership for something else. Some of the finest automobiles available go through dealer auction, for a multitude of reasons. But for this particular car, I'm assuming the top 2 reasons why it would be at dealer auction is the selling dealer simply did not have the clientele base to market this car appropriately to, and the car was probably too old for them to market. Most dealers will not retail a car that is more than 10 years old, as financing is too difficult to provide to their customers. However, this is our educated speculation. But we're glad to have snatched this one up, as it is a jaw dropping piece. :)$30,500 bid placed by @Mmelinger
@Seller; I apologise.. So you bought it from the guy who bought it in september of last year, on this site? https://thembmarket.com/1992-mercedes-benz-500e-8#close Is that correct?@jcd214 - yes, it's possible to supercharge the M119, but it's very difficult due to the limited space available, and the cost is prohibitive (probably more than half of the purchase price of the car). It makes more sense to have a 6L engine built instead - cost is similar, but it's much less difficult because there are no packaging concerns.Hi all, We're looking forward to this auction a lot. As we all know, the 500E is such an incredibly special car. And this one is in particularly beautiful condition. As stated in another comment, it's in virtually "like new" condition. All functions of the vehicle work as intended. There are no dash lights illuminated, no funny noises when operating/driving, no funny sensations, etc. There was extensive service performed to the car in 2023, and under the ownership of our dealership we have replaced the fuel filter, fuel pumps, and had a 3-step paint correction performed on the car; thus leaving the finish in 1992 factory/showroom condition. It's like traveling back in time to 1992 to see the car brand new. We cannot remark enough on the condition of the paint after the 3-step paint correction. It is absolutely stunning! Please also view the video that is attached to this ad! I give an extensive walk-around and drive of this beautiful W124. Thanks for the interest so far, guys! I'm glad to have it on this platform, and I know a lucky MB Market user will recognize how exquisite this car is. :)@ilpatino You are mistaken. We did not purchase this car on this site last year. Please check sellers and buyers more carefully. We cannot speak for the previous owner, however, I can say that there is absolutely zero wrong with this car. It is in absolutely incredible condition. Basically "like new" condition. It is the finest example of a W124 that we have personally ever seen.$30,000 bid placed by @MercedesDad
Wow, this is absolutely beautiful. I have to laugh because I got a 2025 loaner C300 this morning and oh how times have changed -- colossal touch screen in the center console that required me to pull of to the side of the road to figure out how to turn on the radio, flimsy straw-like plastic for the sunroof switch so that you can "swipe" rather than having to "push", metal-look plastic on switches and trim. Though I regretably am not a contender for this lot, I am curious -- could a person make this M119 an M119k?$25,000 bid placed by @JWclassic
@ Seller; you bought this 500E in september of last year on this site for 49K. You do not like it? I can only ask for your clarification, but I hope nothing is wrong with the car....@fastlp - what happened?