FOR SALE 1992 500E, Pearl Black/Gray, 67kmi, BaT auction (Denver/Parker, CO)

[gsxr]

UPDATE 1: For sale by new owner Jan-2023, with less than 700 miles added over 4 months of ownership. Thread title updated.

UPDATE 2: For sale by new flipper/dealer June-2023, price increased to $66.4k, see post #35. Thread title updated.

UPDATE 3: Flipper/dealer reduced price to $59k by August 2023, see post #44. Thread title updated.

UPDATE 4: Now on BaT October 2025, see post #44. Thread title updated.


No affiliation.

1992 500E, Pearl Black/Gray, 64kmi, BaT auction (Costa Mesa, CA)

VIN = WDBEA36E5NB723084

Data card: Mercedes VIN Decoder | Decode Your Mercedes-Benz VIN

Seller is a dealer, Private Collection Motors. Car spent nearly 30 years in Illinois before PCM picked it up last month.

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 #79,841.

bringatrailer.com

 

[gerryvz]

@cascade …. NEEEEED PUNCHlist !!

 

[TimL]

Very professional looking pictures!

 

[maw1124]

Skip the punch list. That's a great car! Almost looks like new seat covers, just for the fun of it. Behind the '94 @Scott_Ales car, this should be interesting.

maw

 

[gsxr]

This car does look very nice, but the presentation is nowhere near at the level of Scott Ales. Other than the fancy gray background, it's borderline amateur. Sooo many photos missing. Not even a proper headliner shot, and the leading edge is sagging at the sunroof opening. And the front engine cover... "We took it off for pictures." Seriously? OKfine, how about the lower engine splash shield / encapsulation panel, was that tooked off for pictures too? Great, add photos showing both installed. And take pics of the rest of the undercarriage. Oh, and since this is a dealer sale, they likely have no history or records - again, very different than the $2-per-mile Scott car that sold yesterday. </rant>

What may be interesting is if some people prefer the 1992 pre-facelift over the 1994. I'd take facelift any day for all the improvements/upgrades, but others may want the "original" look. Or, some folx may think the late cars were not built by Porsche.

Should be interesting what @cascade's eagle eye spots.

 

[gerryvz]

OK, first of all, these photos are almost completely worthless. They are literally artsy-fartsy "glamour shots" that were taken in a car studio, and heavily edited / photoshopped to make everything look pretty.

Second of all, the shots don't highlight ANY of the cosmetic issues or flaws (if they exist -- maybe they do, maybe they don't) that a car with 60+K miles is gonna have from being driven, used, sat in, aging, ozone, and so forth. So it is not really a very honest presentation by the seller. The seller just paid a bunch of $$$ to have gussied up glamour shots of the car taken in a studio, to make it a quick sale.

Contrast this with the @Scott_Ales presentation, which had individual shots on the good and bad aspects of the car. Scott did the honest thing.

This seller did the "buff the paint and make the car look as pretty as possible - and take glamour photos that accentuate the prettiness of the car, and edit the hell out of the photos to make them even prettier" philosophy. Disingenuous, but solely targeting the HaT odometer-buyer who wants a cosmetically beautiful car and is easily snookered by glamour photos.

Now, let's get to the photos. Our friend @cascade can take it from here.


Videos:

Photos - Group 1 of 2

 

[cascade]

As has been said, photos are almost useless, and have been taken with the objective of presenting a perfect car, rather than identifying any flaws or issues the car may have. In addition, this auction has approximately 35-40% of the actual number of photos as most Bring-a-Trailer auctions, so there is much less visual information to go on with this car.

That said, here is a cursory evaluation of this car, based on the scant visual information provided.


500Eboard Punch List™

1. Typical scrapes on underside of front spoiler
2. Front license plate filler panel is different paint color/texture from rest of front bumper rub strip
3. Headlight wiper blades slight mis-aligned downward
4. Typical rock and dirt sand-blasting and dings on front fascia of car – bumper, under-headlight panels, hood leading edge, headlight glass and plastic headlight doors, etc.
5. Hood star chrome sandblasted and quite dirty – in need of metal polishing
6. Plastic tabs on sides of rear third brakelight show evidence of cracking and weakening
7. Very dirty brake and parking brake pedal rubber covers
8. Strange white markings on parking brake release handle fascia
9. Black factory floor mats are color contrast to gray interior of car
10. 4,000+ mile discrepancy between displayed odometer reading and stated car mileage in auction, indicating that photos are likely not current/recent
11. “Mercedes-Benz” logo on stereo cassette-tape door is partially rubbed off
12. Lower inside edge of passenger-side airbag (next to center console) is mis-aligned and not flush with dashboard knee-bolster
13. Headliner appears to be sagging slightly at front
14. Badly faded gray trim piece where driver’s side arm-rest attaches to side of driver’s seat upper bolster
15. Driver’s side door pocket MB-Tex is peeling up front door pocket housing
16. Car is missing front engine top cover
17. Badly yellowed coolant expansion tank in bad need of replacement
18. Windshield washer tank cap missing rubber sealing insert
19. Dis-colored SLS tank top sticker
20. Brake fluid appears dark and in need of replacement
21. Red paint on bolt-heads underhood and under car looks very very fresh, almost as if it has been retouched and not factory original
22. Car is missing under-engine plastic cladding panel
23. Slight corrosion on seams of front lower control arms
24. Stickers on front windshield that are not stock/standard
25. Windshield is missing “A MERCEDES-BENZ PRODUCT” sticker, indicating it has been replaced

 

[dionphaneuf]

It seems like the market doesn't have a strong preference to pre/post facelift cars? Hard to discern given the limited number of 94 US market cars and the fact that they *generally* seem more likely to have lower mileage than the earlier cars.

 

[gerryvz]

Photos - Group 2 of 2

 

[TerryA]

IMOP, Since this car has spent it’s whole life in Illinois aka “The Rust Belt” there should be more pics of the undercarriage.

If they have the front engine cover and the under engine tray they should show it installed.

My favorite, Good pics of entire interior seating except the “Drivers Side Bolster”

lol

 

[gerryvz]

The bolster from the couple of photos I can see, actually looks quite good with only the slightest amount of surface wear.

This car seems to have a complete lack of service records, which is a huge minus, particularly for a car with such low miles that is presented as such a cream puff. Even a VMI would be better than nothing.

 

[a777fan]

Check out that OG oil pan tho!

Prior to @emerydc8s posts, i never knew they originally came like that. Funny, as it appears SUPER flimsy compared to the corregated replacement pans.

 

[gerryvz]

OG all things considered (excepting M104 head gaskets) is usually better overall quality. I'd bet the oilpan steel thickness is a lesser gauge on the corrugated units than on the OGers.

 

[BlitzenBenz]

I've been away from the board for awhile (jobs can do that to you!) , so it's great to see that knowledgeable folks are eyeballing these cars when they go to auction. This car looks to me to have some needs, so I hope it goes to a knowledgeable home that'll fettle it properly.

My own auction will be going live later this week as I understand.... it is a '95 E500 Euro I picked up and spent a decade restoring. The car was rough when I picked it up, not gonna lie, but having put nearly 200k on a '92 500E (and attending to all its maintenance and repairs) I felt qualified to rescue this very special car. I have done an impossible amount of work on it, and IMHO it is Gorgeous, so my sincere hope is that it goes to a home that will put another 100k+ miles on it, it is 100% ready and there's NO deferred maintenance!

 

[gerryvz]

My own auction will be going live later this week as I understand.... it is a '95 E500 Euro I picked up and spent a decade restoring.

Heads up to @cascade that a Punch List work order needs to be put into the system.

 

[gerryvz]

there's NO deferred maintenance!

If this is true, then it would only be the SECOND car in existence with ZERO deferred maintenance, after the car belonging to @600Eric, which was completely & professionally rebuilt from the ground up over a period of years, fully open-checkbook. I saw this car and rode in it from Orange County to Monterey, so can vouch for it as the first ZDM car in the US.

 

[BlitzenBenz]

If this is true, then it would only be the SECOND car in existence with ZERO deferred maintenance, after the car belonging to @600Eric, which was completely & professionally rebuilt from the ground up over a period of years, fully open-checkbook. I saw this car and rode in it from Orange County to Monterey, so can vouch for it as the first ZDM car in the US.

I honestly feel scrutiny will help my auction. I had an open checkbook the entire time, never shied away from a job, and did all the work myself excepting the paint, headliner, trans rebuild and alignments. Not sure if there's a mechanical job I've Not done on this car (yep, replaced rear subframe bushings; evaporator; motor/trans mounts; headliner; sunroof mechanisms; entire rear suspension, & most of front; Complete brakes, etc) , and not always because something was broken (although plenty was) but because I knew that nearly everything perishes, eventually, and I'd always planned to use this car as a Very dependable daily driver. I love these cars, have for many years, so I did the work. And even if this car slays at auction, it'll be pennies on the dollars invested but hey, labors of love are like that

 

[gsxr]

1 hour to go. Cjmbmd apparently is looking for a "ZDM" car for <$40k.



Cjmbmd This author's likes: 7
@akpcm : This is a beautiful example of earlier MB quality in materials and engineering! Smart of MB to collaborate with Porsche! I was wondering if you felt any harshness/bouncing of the rear suspension over rough roads? Is there any misfiring upon start up, heavy acceleration, after a hot soak, and or during hot humid, weather? Do you know if the motor mounts have ever been replaced or are still intact? Do the auxiliary engine cooling fans work at both high and low speeds as demand calls for? Sorry sounds nit picky but necessary at this price point.

 

[gerryvz]

1 hour to go. Cjmbmd apparently is looking for a "ZDM" car for <$40k.

That's going to be rarer than rocking-horse poop to find (nod to @JC220).

ZDM is the holy grail and pretty much unachievable in the real world.

 

[gerryvz]

I honestly feel scrutiny will help my auction.

Have you ever seen a cascade Punch List? Be careful what you wish for

PLs published here on HaT cars for auction have driven more than a few sellers absolutely bonkers raving mad, seeing red, etc. To the point where HaT has outlawed auction comments that contain URLs to this forum (cars for sale / PLs) or overt references to this forum. I have heard through back channels that this forum & associated PLs have been considered directly responsible for more than a few sellers losing huge $$$ on their auctions and complaining to HaT management about it.

I'm still waiting for my first "cease and desist" letter to come from an attorney, though.

 

[BlitzenBenz]

I admit to being a bit intimidated by a cascade list, but I've worked very hard (and spent a lot of $$$) to prevent such a list from getting very long! I am going to do my utmost to be transparent and helpful with this auction, and look forward to hearing from the new owner that they love the car

 

[gerryvz]

I admit to being a bit intimidated by a cascade list, but I've worked very hard (and spent a lot of $$$) to prevent such a list from getting very long! I am going to do my utmost to be transparent and helpful with this auction, and look forward to hearing from the new owner that they love the car

The recent @Scott_Ales auction on HaT is a model of transparency excellence, responsiveness and auction comment engagement. And I believe it added a good $10K to the FAP (final auction price) of his car.

 

[gsxr]

Sold for $53k + $2650 BaHaT fees + $300 dealer doc fees, or ~$56k all in plus transport.

Bidder #3 dropped at $41k and #4 at $39k. I was fully expecting RNM with PCM's 100kmi car asking $70k.

Cjmbmd in search of the ZDM car apparently forgot to bid.

 

[cascade]

Heads up to @cascade that a Punch List work order needs to be put into the system.

Ack. Work order for a full Punch List has been written up.

 

[gerryvz]

This seems appropriate for a car that really didn't have transparency in the photos, no records, and so forth. Another HaT odo buyer. But he's really going to be into this car pushing $70K if all of the DM (known and unknown) is to be properly taken care of.

 

[kegmankipp]

That's going to be rarer than rocking-horse poop to find (nod to @JC220).

ZDM is the holy grail and pretty much unachievable in the real world.

And so it starts….

#ZDMcar

 

[maw1124]

Sold for $53k + $2650 BaHaT fees + $300 dealer doc fees, or ~$56k all in plus transport.

Bidder #3 dropped at $41k and #4 at $39k. I was fully expecting RNM with PCM's 100kmi car asking $70k.

Cjmbmd in search of the ZDM car apparently forgot to bid.

And so it starts….

#ZDMcar

Am I the only one who thinks that was about right from the start? PCM's car has their own "premium" built in (just because, you know, PCM).

maw

 

[Bogeyman]

Anyone notice the post sale comment - "very carefully inspect the front spring perches and shock towers"?

Heard that on W210s but not so much on W124s.

 

[gsxr]

Anyone notice the post sale comment - "very carefully inspect the front spring perches and shock towers"?

Heard that on W210s but not so much on W124s.

Yeah, it's far less of a concern on the 124's in general, and much more worrisome on the 210. That commenter is either misinformed or paranoid. Still a good idea to inspect those areas though.

 

[RicardoD]

Wow, did you guys see that amazing rear exhaust hanger on this car:

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 #79,841.

bringatrailer.com

 

[TerryA]

Wow, did you guys see that amazing rear exhaust hanger on this car:

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 #79,841.

bringatrailer.com

View attachment 150641

@RicardoD, Wow! It looks brand new. Don’t drool all over your computer

 

[gsxr]

After 4 months of ownership and <700 miles, the new owner is selling. That's one short honeymoon.

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/mercedes-benz/500e/2655922.html

Super Sedan: 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E

Throughout history, there have been moments when automakers collaborate for the sake of producing a performance vehicle they couldn't necessarily build on their own. In most cases, this takes the form of fairly boring partnerships wherein a manufacturer adds a vehicle to their lineup they don't...

barnfinds.com

eBay dealer classified ads (not private listings, not auctions):
https://www.ebay.com/itm/225365974237 <-- Listing ended 1/28 because "the item is no longer available"

https://www.ebay.com/itm/225394207747 <-- Ended 2/15/2023, still $65k/obo

https://www.ebay.com/itm/225424914282 <-- Relisted classified ad, still $65k/obo

Vehicle Description​

​

Offered for sale is an incredibly rare 1992 Mercedes Benz 500 E. This vehicle was the product of a collaboration between Mercedes Benz and Porsche back in the early ‘90s. Mercedes contracted Porsche to re-design and then build its E class into a performance-oriented sedan.​

​

The existing small engine bay of the W124 E-Class was crammed full with the 5.0-liter V8 from the R129 500SL. The front end had to be widened in order for the engine to fit at all, which is why the 500 E wears flared front fenders. The extra heft from the large engine meant a suspension rework. All that was left was to fit the four-speed automatic from the SL. It shifted 322 horsepower through the rear wheels, for a 0 to 60 time of 6.1 seconds. Top speed was 161 miles per hour.​

​

Porsche built the 500 E at its factory in Stuttgart. Mercedes manufactured the parts and shipped them to Porsche, who then hand-assembled the 500 E’s chassis and body. The cars were then shipped back to the Mercedes plant and painted. Painted bodies traveled once more, to a different Porsche factory in Zuffenhausen, which installed the V8 and completed the car.​

​

This example has just 64,435 miles and is finished in Black Pearl Metallic over a gray leather interior.​

​

This is an amazing opportunity to own an incredibly rare example of automotive history that was built by two of the greatest auto manufacturers in the world.​

​

For more information, please call 631-318-7681.​

​

VIN: WDBEA36E5NB723084​

​

Miles: 64435​

 

[maw1124]

And apparently the car spent very little time, if any, in Costa Mesa. Sub 60k mile Costa Mesa car is worlds different to this one that apparently is a NE USA car in reality (NH, MA, RH with some time in MI for good measure). That explains the relatively rusty underbody (and lower price). The article simply doesn’t match the headline.

maw

 

[Allgonquin]

No connection. I get a daily digest email from Barn Finds. Here is the listing there Super Sedan: 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E

This listing links to this eBay listing, which, as I write this today, has been ended. 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500-Series 500E | eBay

In Southampton NY at $65K. But maybe this car is known to the Board or has been covered before.

 

[gsxr]

Slight price bump to $66,399 including dealer fees.

New dealer is located in Denver/Englewood, CO, not sure if the car is there or not. Passed to a new flipper/dealer?

1992 Mercedes 500E — BLUECHIP FLEET

www.bluechipfleet.com

Blue Chip Fleet
3935 S KALAMATH ST,
ENGLEWOOD, CO 80110
720.515.9040
INFO@BLUECHIPFLEET.COM

 

[maw1124]

Hmmm… for some reason when I searched the VIN here it didn’t pop up. Thanks @gsxr. I notice the new Blaupunkt stereo but little else. So from the first listing the car has gotten 2 new stereos and gone up $10k in price in a down market?!?! Crazy loco…

maw

 

[gsxr]

Search is currently down... pinged the site overlords:

Elastic search down | Site Feedback and Requests

@xfadmin... forum search appears to be down: XFES\Elasticsearch\ConnectException: cURL error 7: Failed to connect to localhost port 9200: Connection refused (see libcurl - Error Codes) in src/addons/XFES/Elasticsearch/Api.php at line 405 XFES\Elasticsearch\Api->request() in...

www.500eboard.co

 

[gsxr]

Good catch on the stereo downgrades. We all know that you can't easily replace the stock 1432, and it's almost guaranteed the new HU's sound worse despite adding blue teeth and other nifty functionality. This decreases value, not increases, particularly if the stock wiring harness was cut in any way so you can't easily return it to stock. At least the latest variant looks better.

 

[maw1124]

Good catch on the stereo downgrades. We all know that you can't easily replace the stock 1432, and it's almost guaranteed the new HU's sound worse despite adding blue teeth and other nifty functionality. This decreases value, not increases, particularly if the stock wiring harness was cut in any way so you can't easily return it to stock. At least the latest variant looks better.

Yes... you absolutely have to "do it right or not do it at all" in the case of early factory systems... doing it right takes a lot of work but pays you back in weight reduction and simplicity going forward... so you only need to do it once.

These guys have almost certainly not done that.

maw

 

[duuder]

Yes... you absolutely have to "do it right or not do it at all" in the case of early factory systems... doing it right takes a lot of work but pays you back in weight reduction and simplicity going forward... so you only need to do it once.

These guys have almost certainly not done that.

maw

i had mine done properly after waiting years to trust someone to install my sound system. and when i received the old head unit, it was like a new born baby umbilical chord intact

 

[maw1124]

i had mine done properly after waiting years to trust someone to install my sound system. and when i received the old head unit, it was like a new born baby umbilical chord intact

Same. I've not had a single problem out of the car pointing back to that install in 12 years -- no wiring or operational glitches, blown fuses, untoward alternator noise, nothing. I've had more problems out of "current" stereo installs than this one. @Jlaa might have the same experience, but I don't recall whether he had his original Becker unit refurbished as part of his project. If not, that's the stuff I would expect to go first, not his aftermarket amps, speakers or his own personal wiring work, just because old stuff is old.

maw

 

[Jlaa]

Same. I've not had a single problem out of the car pointing back to that install in 12 years -- no wiring or operational glitches, blown fuses, untoward alternator noise, nothing. I've had more problems out of "current" stereo installs than this one. @Jlaa might have the same experience, but I don't recall whether he had his original Becker unit refurbished as part of his project. If not, that's the stuff I would expect to go first, not his aftermarket amps, speakers or his own personal wiring work, just because old stuff is old.

maw

My Becker head unit is original and untouched! I also have like 5 other ones that I can cannibalize for spare parts!

 

[maw1124]

For sale again… this time for $65k.

1992 Mercedes 500E - STOCK NO. 197 — BLUECHIP FLEET

maw

 

[gsxr]

Still for sale in Englewood, CO, but price is all the way down to $59k.

1992 Mercedes 500E — BLUECHIP FLEET

www.bluechipfleet.com

 

[Joe500]

Sold for an undisclosed price

 

[Vehikuhl]

Back up for sale on BaT:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1992-mercedes-benz-500e-95/

This 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E is powered by a 5.0-liter V8 paired with a four-speed automatic transmission, and it is finished in Black Pearl Metallic over gray leather. Equipment includes 16″ eight-hole alloy wheels, heated front seats, power windows, automatic climate control, and a power-operated rear sunshade. The car was purchased by the seller following its sale [at $53k + fees] on BaT in July 2022, and it has since been fitted with a retro-look Blaupunkt radio and a replacement set of Continental tires. This 500E shows 66k miles and is now offered with the owner’s manual, service records, a clean Carfax report, and a clean Colorado title in the seller’s name.​

​

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) with gray lower accents, and it has a power sunroof, a power antetnna, and headlights with wipers and washers. The 16″ eight-hole alloy wheels were mounted with Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 Plus tires in July 2024. Braking is handled by anti-lock discs at each corner.​

​

The heated front bucket seats and rear bench are upholstered in gray 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, a power-operated rear sunshade, and a retro-look Blaupunkt Bremen SQR 46 DAB digital radio. The seller informs us that driver’s door pocket and a portion of the headliner require additional adhesive.​

​

The 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 66k miles, approximately 1,300 of which were added under current ownership.​

​

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. An oil change was performed in August 2025. Power is routed to the rear wheels through a four-speed automatic transmission. Additional photographs of the underside are shown in the gallery below. The Carfax report shows no accidents or damage.​

 

[dasboshi]

Why is this one being passed around so quickly?

 

[maw1124]

Why is this one being passed around so quickly?

My guess -- and it's only a guess -- is because it's going from flipper dealer to flipper dealer searching for a buck to be made while priced at the absolute top of the market for its condition.

The car needs a few grand invested (call it $10k max) and to be enjoyed until the parts run out. A low odometer only takes you so far in a 30+ year old performance Mercedes / Porsche collab with over a thousand bespoke parts. Ask me how I know -- $10K is being kind.

Clearly that's in no flipper dealer's business model, nor does that reality support the asking price. Hence they get into it then immediately want out of it.

And no, a new radio won't fix this product / market mismatch.

But finally... I'm guessing.

maw

 

[dasboshi]

Thanks for the insight @maw1124 - I was going to speculate that there was more work needed into the car after purchase. So this price isn't in "all ready to go for the next decade" condition.

 

[gsxr]

So this price isn't in "all ready to go for the next decade" condition.

VERY few cars are in the condition you describe above. And you can NEVER assume that a sky-high asking price comes with "ready for the next decade". Same with the odometer reading... low odo absolutely does not guarantee anything except an inflated sale price. Actual condition of the car, and detailed service/maintenance records, are the most important. Personally, I'd rather have a car that is mechanically excellent with 200-250kmi than a car with 50kmi and a ton of deferred maintenance. Which is why I own the former, not the latter. YMMV, etc.