W124 is the
Mercedes-Benz internal chassis-designation for the 1985 to 1995 version of the Mercedes-Benz
E-Class. The W124 models replaced the W123 models after 1985 and were
superseded by the W210 E-Class after 1995.
History
The W124 is a mid-sized
vehicle platform. Due to the high cost of German engineering and build quality,
the W124 was designed to last many miles, with awards actually given and worn
by high mileage versions.
Front suspension uses a
separate spring and damper with a rubber top mount. The rear suspension of the
W124 features the Mercedes multi-link axle introduced in 1982 with the Mercedes
190 and which is now standard on many modern cars. Estate cars (and optionally,
saloons and coupes) had Citroen-like self-leveling rear suspension with
suspension struts rather than shock absorbers, gas-filled suspension spheres to
provide damping and an under bonnet pressurizing pump. Unlike the traditional Citroën
application Mercedes opted for a fixed ride height and employed rear coil
springs to maintain the static ride height when parked.
The R129 was based on the
W124 platform, in return W124 was equipped with one of the roadster's engines,
in its 500E version..
Much of the 124's
engineering and many of its features were advanced automotive technology at its
introduction, incorporating innovations that have been adopted throughout the
industry. It had one of the lowest coefficient of drag (Cd) of any vehicle of
the time (0.28 for the 200/200D model for the European market with 185/65 R15
tires) due to its aerodynamic body, that included plastic molding for the
undercarriage to streamline airflow beneath the car, reducing fuel consumption
and wind noise. It had a single windscreen wiper that had an eccentric
mechanism at its base that extended the wiper's reach to the top corners of the
windscreen (more than if it had traveled in a simple arc). The saloon/sedan,
coupés and convertibles had optional rear headrests that would fold down
remotely to improve rearward visibility when required. This feature was not available
for the T-model because of its specific layout (no space to store the
retractable headrests), but the station-wagon serially came with a
"neighbour-friendly" rear door that was pulled in the shut-position
silently and automatically by a sensor-controlled servomotor. With the
exception of the 200, which was equipped with a Stromberg or Pierburg carburetor
but was not available to the United States, fuel injection was standard, and
the engines incorporated features that maximised performance. The most notable
such feature was the addition of an oxygen sensor in the exhaust system which,
in conjunction with a semi-electronic fuel injection system, could make the
engine run more efficiently. This improved fuel consumption while
simultaneously meeting stricter emission regulations. Mercedes-Benz's four-wheel
drive system, the 4Matic was first introduced on the W124 in 1986.
The estate cars (chassis
designation S124) came in 5- or 7-seat models, the 7-seater having a
rear-facing bench seat that folded flush luggage compartment cover and an
optional (in the US until 1994) retractable cargo net. In the US 7-seat models
were standard, 5-seat models were not available. The S124 estate continued in
production alongside the new W210 until the S210 estate launched more than a
year later. A two-door coupe version was also built, with the chassis
designation C124.
Mercedes launched a
cabriolet (convertible) version in Europe in 1991, the 300 CE 24V, and in the
UK (RHD) and Japan (LHD), the 320CE, and North America, the 300CE, in 1992.
These versions were re-designated as the E320 in 1993, complemented by the less
powerful, but less expensive E220 in 1993, and the mainland-Europe-only E 200
in 1994. Mercedes brought the E320 cabriolet (convertible) to the USA and Japan
from 1993 to 1995. There were 68 E36 AMG cabriolets built from 1993 until 1996
(54 LHD and 14 RHD) and even fewer 300CE 3.4 AMG from 1992 until 1993 to
complement the also rare E36 AMG coupe, saloon (RHD only) and estate. The E320,
E220, and E200 cabriolets ceased production in 1997.
SsangYong Motor Company of Korea
licensed the W124 design and continues to produce a stretched version of the
W124 as the Chairman, with a Ssangyong badge. It has a 2.9 m (110 in)
wheelbase and 3.2 L Mercedes straight-6 M104 engine. Chairman currently has 2.3
L (M111), 2.8 L (M104), and 3.2 L (M104) engines in its product line-ups. SsangYong
Chairman has developed a 3.6 L version of M104 engine recently for its high-end
Chairman line up. The engine is called XGi360.
Models
The
pre-facelift models from 1985 to 1993 used the model designations: 200/200T
(carburettor), 200E/200TE, 230E/230TE, 230CE, 260E (saloon only), 300E/TE,
300E-24/300TE-24 valve, 400E (not in the UK), 420E (not in the UK) & 500E
(LHD only in the UK). Diesels were the 200D/200TD (not in the UK), 250D/250TD &
the 300D/300TD. Facelift models produced from 1993 to 1995/6 used the model
designations: E200, E220, E280, E320, E420 (not in the UK) & E500 (LHD only
in the UK). Both saloon and estate versions of the facelifted model carried the
same model designation on their bootlid, i.e. the T was no longer used for
estate versions. In the UK post-facelift diesels were E250 Diesel (saloon only)
and E300 Diesel (saloon & estate) models. Car was also offered as a long
wheelbase targeted for taxi companies, but more luxury equipped version was
also used as a limousine.
Sportline option
Mercedes-Benz offered an
option called "Sportline" for the W124 and W201 chassis cars. This
option was available in the North American market for the 1992-93 model year
190E 2.6, 1992-93 300E/300CE and 1993-95 E320/E320 Coupe. In the European
market, however, the "Sportline" option was available for all body
styles except the E500/500E. The option package included sport seating (sedans,
not coupes), wider wheels (7" rather than 6.5") and lower profile
tyres (205/60 x 15 rather than 195/65 x 15), quick ratio steering and a smaller
diameter steering wheel, "Sportline" badges on the front wing
moldings and gear knob, a slightly lowered ride height and a specially tuned
suspension including shorter, stiffer springs, struts, anti-roll bars, and
bushings.
The suspension components of
the Sportline package were available as an option on all cars, including
estates, as Option 653 - Sports Chassis with 8-Hole light alloy rims.\
500 E
Mercedes
also included a high performance version of the W124, the 500 E, created in
close cooperation with and assembled by Porsche. It used the 5.0L 32-valve V8 M119
Engine based upon the 500 SL (R129) roadster, and Porsche engineered the
suspension and chassis design with a performance bias.
Safety
Some main innovations of the
W124 series were related to occupant safety. Derived from the Mercedes 190
(W201), with which the W124 shares the basic layout, its likewise edgy body was
designed to withstand an offset-crash in a concrete barrier at some 35 mp/h
without serious harm to the occupants and a largely undamaged passenger cabin,
a windshield that stays in place and doors easily opened without special
recovery tools. This crash-test configuration became the base for the Euro-NCAP
procedure currently being the standard crash-test configuration in the EU.
Unlike Euro-NCAP, Mercedes required the body of the W124 to withstand an offset
impact from the front and from the rear.
Build
quality
The W124 also featured a
driver's side airbag (optional in Europe, later standard in the USA),
height-adjustable seat belts with electronic-mechanical pre-tensioneers
(standard) for both front passengers, rear seat belts which automatically
adapted to the size of the passengers (standard), pedals that were moved
inversely in a frontal impact (away from the drivers feet and in the direction
of the bulkhead separating the cabin from the engine) and door arm rests with
deformable elements designed to reduce abdominal injury risk resulting from a side
impact.
The dashboard made of
impact-absorbing, artificial foam was reinforced with a thin aluminium layer
which effectively prevented hoses, valves, housings and other components from
heating and engine from penetrating through the dash board inside the passenger
cabin in a severe impact. Also, the passenger glove box featured a defined
point of rupture, which considerably reduced the probability of front passenger
injuries.
Apart from the Mercedes 190,
the W124 was the first serially manufactured car in history to see widespread
use of light-weight high-strength steels, which today are a standard in car
design.
From late 1988 on, the W124
was one of the first cars available with a passengers side front-airbag as an
option, initially only in Europe, and from 1990 onwards in North America.
The
W124 gained a good reputation for reliability. In 1995 the diesel engined
version topped the "upper middle class" category in a reliability
survey of 4-6 year old cars undertaken by the German Automobile Association
(ADAC), with 11.8 recorded breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles for four year old cars
and 21.6 for six year old ones: this compared with 14.6 breakdowns per 1,000
cars for four year old Audi 100s and 27.3 for six year old big Audis.