1994 Mercedes-Benz E220 Sportline Coupe

Description

Daimler-Benz finally replaced the long-running and commercially successful W123 E-class range in 1985 with an all-new model, codenamed the W124.  Styled by Bruno Sacco’s team and boasting the lowest coefficient of drag for any passenger car at the time, the W124 came in sedan, estate, coupe and ultimately cabriolet versions.  The W124’s platform was typically well-engineered with independent front suspension via MacPherson struts and wishbones and five-link independent rear suspension, with coil springs and anti-roll bars front/rear.  A wide range of engine and tranmission combinations was available, including both petrol and diesel units ranging from the relatively underpowered 2-litre four-cylinders all the way to a thumping 5-litre V8.  Mercedes-Benz expanded the highly regarded W124 E-Class range to include a stylish coupe version in 1987, featuring a lower roofline and pillarless side treatment in the best Stuttgart coupe tradition, the result arguably one of stylist Bruno Sacco’s finest achievements.  Built on a slightly reduced wheelbase, the interior was redesigned to accommodate four adults with individual rear seats and novel touches – including the automatic arm that offered front seat passengers the seat belts – set the coupes apart from their four-door cousins.  Mercedes-Benz facelifted the W124 range for the 1994 model year, offering a four-cylinder version of the coupe and cabriolet variants badged as the E220 in Stuttgart’s new parlance.  Powered by the twin overhead camshaft 2.2-litre four equipped with Bosch’s latest HFM sequential fuel injection, the E220 developed 150 horsepower at 5500 rpm and drove the rear wheels via a sophisticated four-speed auto, while underneath the W124 was typically well-engineered, boasting independent front suspension via MacPherson struts and wishbones and five-link independent rear suspension, with coil springs and anti-roll bars front/rear.  An exclusive model harking back to the classic W111/112 series of the 1960s (the E220 Coupe had a list price of $126,000 back in 1995), the W124 coupe remains a stylish, beautifully made German luxury coupe on the cusp of classic status, with prices already beginning to move upwards.