Mercedes-Benz 220E

Mercedes-Benz 220E Saloon 1993

W124 is the Mercedes-Benz internal chassis-designation for the 1984 to 1995/96 version of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class ('E' for 'Executive'). It was introduced in 1985 and based heavily on the previous W123 model. It was lighter, more agile and was a much more modern car overall. It incorporated many of the safety features pioneered in the S-Class saloon such as driver and passenger airbags; indeed, so successful was Mercedes-Benz in driving forward safety standards with the W124, that their methodology was used as the benchmark for the European NCAP tests. 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. It had one of the lowest coefficients of drag of any vehicle of the time due to its aerodynamic body that included plastic moulding for the undercarriage to streamline airflow beneath the car reducing fuel consumption and wind noise. It also 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 travelled in a simple arc.