The unveiling of the new generation of the E-Class Coupé this month (NDR: at the time of this article's original publication) was an important event in its own right. But it was more than that, it was also the starting point for the commemoration of another important event for the Stuttgart brand: the 30 years of the Mercedes-Benz C124 The cake is already in the oven and the party is ready.
Presented in 1987 at the Geneva Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz described it as follows:
A coupé capable of harmoniously combining exclusivity, performance, state-of-the-art technology, high standards of safety and economy. A model exceptionally tailored to offer high levels of comfort, both for daily commuting and longer journeys. Exterior design: sporty and elegant — every detail is designed to perfection.
The first versions of the Mercedes-Benz C 124 were the 230 CE and 300 CE, followed shortly after by the 200 CE, 220 CE and 320 CE versions. In 1989 the first facelift arrived and with it the “Sportline” sports pack. This Sportline line (equivalent to the current AMG pack) added sportier suspensions to the German coupé, wheels and tires with more generous dimensions, individual rear seats and a steering wheel with a smaller diameter.
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Also in 1989, the 300 CE-24 version was introduced, which offered an in-line six-cylinder engine with 220 hp.
In June 1993, Mercedes made some aesthetic changes again to the entire W124 range and for the first time the nomenclature “Class E” appears, which remains until today. For example, the “320 CE” version became known as the “E 320”. Over all these years in service, the entire range of engines was revised, until the arrival of the most powerful version of all, the E 36 AMG , released in September 1993.
This model was one of the first to officially receive the acronym AMG, as a result of the cooperation agreement signed between AMG and Mercedes-Benz in 1990.
The end of the commercial career of the Mercedes-Benz C124 came in March 1996, almost 10 years later. In total, 141 498 units of this model were sold.
The typically Germanic design, the high levels of reliability, the technology used and the construction quality recognized by the Mercedes-Benz models at that time, gave the C124 the status of a cult car.
