SOLD 1992 500E, Pearl Black/Black, 85kmi, BaT auction (Newport Beach, CA)

[gsxr]

UPDATE: Sold for $64k plus 5% vig for $67,200 total, see post #12 below.

No affiliation. Headliner sagging. Needs paint on roof & hood. Appears to be a flipper that picked it up from the original owner last year, possibly selling on a skipped title, as a peanut gallerist implied. Last registration record was in New Mexico in 2019, no record of the Florida title on Carfax, which is suspicious. All the receipts are from the PO... nothing from the current owner/flipper.



VIN = WDBEA36E7NB634763

Datacard: https://www.lastvin.com/vin/rjKDXd4Pw8wdpN38B

1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E

Bid for the chance to own a 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E at auction with Bring a Trailer, the home of the best vintage and classic cars online. Lot #236,714.

bringatrailer.com

This 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E remained registered in New Mexico under the care of its original owner until the seller’s purchase in 2025, and it now shows 85k miles. Powered by a 5.0-liter V8 paired with a four-speed automatic transmission, it is finished in Black Pearl Metallic over black leather upholstery. Equipment includes a sunroof, 16″ eight-hole alloy wheels, heated power-adjustable front seats, power windows, automatic climate control, and a cassette stereo. This 500E is offered in California with manufacturer’s literature, service records, a clean Carfax report, and a clean Florida title.

The 500E was assembled by Porsche and features wheel arch flares, revised bodywork, and a lower ride height when compared to other W124 models. This example is finished in Black Pearl Metallic (199), and exterior features include a sunroof, headlamp wipers, a power-telescoping antenna, and a single eccentric-sweep windshield wiper. The silver-finished 16″ eight-hole alloy wheels are mounted with Michelin tires. Braking is handled by anti-lock discs at each corner.

The heated power-adjustable front bucket seats and rear bench are upholstered in black leather along with a color-coordinated dashboard, center console, door panels, and carpets. Wood trim accents the dash, center stack, and doors, while amenities include power windows, automatic climate control, and a cassette stereo.

The leather-wrapped airbag steering wheel frames VDO instrumentation consisting of a 160-mph speedometer, a 7k-rpm tachometer, an analog clock, and gauges for fuel level, coolant temperature, and oil pressure. The six-digit odometer shows 85k miles.

The 5.0-liter M119 V8 was factory equipped with Bosch LH-Jetronic fuel injection and was rated at 326 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque when new. The wiring harness was replaced in 2018, and the fuel pressure regulator and various hoses were replaced in 2018. Power is routed to the rear wheels through a four-speed automatic transmission. The shifter bushings, transmission mounts, flex disc, and center support bearing were replaced in 2016. The Carfax report is free of accidents or other reported damage.

The car is titled in Florida but is located in California, and it last passed a California emissions test in 2008.

 

[gsxr]

More pics.

 

[gsxr]

Documents.

 

[gsxr]

4 bidders pushed this to $40k with 4 days left.

 

[TerryA]

maamoo just upped it to $43K this AM!
That 85K mile odometer is sucking them
In.

 

[TerryA]

Now up to $46,666.00 w/ 2 days to go!

 

[Otrebla49]

At $50k now with 4 (hours!) left..

Alberto

 

[gsxr]

I cannot figure out why this one has bid $15k higher (so far) vs the last 1992 500E on BaT in the same color combo. And, this one has failed clearcoat... and the seller is a flipper who knows nothing about the car beyond what the records show from the PO...

 

[Bogeyman]

Sometimes location scares a lot of people off - Wisconsin vs Newport Beach...

 

[gsxr]

Sometimes location scares a lot of people off - Wisconsin vs Newport Beach...

If the $35k car had been in Wisconsin the whole time, I would understand. But it was in Texas through 2024, and odometer readings indicate barely 100 miles traveled in Wisconsin (also indicating suspected odometer stoppage). The WI/TX car undercarriage pics showed zero rust.

Looks like the $35k purchase may have been a killer deal, while people are fighting to pay a premium for the car from the SoCal Flipper.

 

[Bogeyman]

I was referring to the selling location of each respective car. California with @40m vs Wisconsin @6m. A lot of buyers don't want to deal with logistics and transportation. Don't ask me how I know....

 

[gsxr]

While I'm happy to see a market bump for the 036, the disparity between this auction and last week's (here) makes no sense to me. The top 2 bidders wanted this really badly, and Flipper will be counting his 5-digit windfall above and beyond the actual market value (mid-40's, based on bidders #3-#6). I could almost see this number if the car had flawless paint, but it needs the clearcoat resprayed at a minimum. Add in Gerry's Law of $10k in deferred maintenance (minimum, since the new owner is taking the car to MBCC!) and this will run into $100k awfully fast.

Sold for $64k plus 5% vig for $67,200 total, or >$70k all-in with T/T/T/T. Wowzers.


$64,000 bid placed by maamoo
$62,555 bid placed by Tomosis
$48,000 bid placed by tdeving
$46,950 bid placed by Collectingclassics
$46,666 bid placed by midtownauto
$45,500 bid placed by rkilmon
$39,200 bid placed by Solomon87
$25,000 bid placed by richardnixon

 

[PHK]

@gsxr: It seems to take $100k to get any decent car these days.