Forty years on, Merc’s W124 is a bonafide legend

Insiders say the W124 is a car that was made when Merc’s accountants were on leave. Experience this tough-as-nails, money-no-object car even today and you sort of believe the myth – it feels like it’s been chiselled out of a single block of metal. But one thing’s for sure, no modern car can compare with it – all these years on – when it comes to its tough build, robust engineering and single-minded focus on comfort and refinement. What also makes this anniversary even more special is that the W124 has a direct connection to Merc’s India story – it was the first car Mercedes officially sold here and is our most popular modern classic today.

The appeal of the W124 starts with the design, especially that near-perfect wedge profile. A clean break from the more rounded W123, the W124 was clean-cut, had large flat surfaces and big chamfered edges, and this gave the car its block-like and chiselled looks.

The first cut came from the pen of designer Peter Pfeiffer (later also head of design). Then the concept was further refined and ‘sanded down’ to its essence by design head Bruno Sacco, an Italian automobile designer who had spent time with the masters of proportion, Pininfarina. The wedge shape has, in fact, displayed such purity with its integrated bumpers, flush-mounted windows, snow-proof tail-lights and chiselled bootlid; it looks contemporary even today.
 

Take a ride in one of these cars even today, and you can experience the solid feel and directly relate with the monolithic and solid nature of the design. And while the W124 looks boxy, it was actually very aerodynamically efficient. The wedge shape and high trunk lid worked well when it came to efficiency, and its 0.29 co-efficient of drag went as low as 0.26 on some versions. This made the W124 the most aerodynamically efficient sedans in the world at the time.

The W124 also had innovative features like an articulated single wiper that covered a record-breaking 86 percent of the windshield and rear headrests that dropped down at the press of a button for better reversing visibility.

The W124’s India innings began as part of a 50-50 joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and Telco (as Tata Motors was then known). But the car wasn’t a big success in India as the new model was already out in other markets and Indian customers didn’t like that. Only around 2,465 cars were produced in India.

In all, the Mercedes-Benz 124 series consisted of numerous body styles. We only got the W124 sedan versions, but the models overseas included the estate (S124); coupe (C124); cabriolet (A124); limousine (V124); rolling chassis (F124); and long-wheelbase rolling chassis (VF124). Think about it, the monocoque chassis was so rigid it could be stretched and used as a load carrier without major modifications.

Today, the W124 is a quintessential modern classic globally, and the car has become the backbone of the modern classic movement in India, with values fast appreciating. Today, it costs between Rs 4 and Rs 15 lakh for Indian-made cars, and this is expected to rise further.

In celebration of the legendary 124 E-Class’ 40th anniversary, we’re showcasing almost every body style of the 124 series at #MBCCR2024.

While the event is by invitation only, write to us at mbccr@haymarketsac.com if you’d like to get an invite.

Check out the MBCCR 2024 website here