FOR SALE 1992 500E, Repaint 040 Black/Black, 200kmi+ TMU, BaT auction (Roswell, GA)

[gsxr]

No affiliation. This car sold weeks ago at Manheim Dallas for $33,250 plus fees, plus transport to GA. Dealer is probably in it for $38k+ and expects a profit on top of that. Thanks @benzgarden for the background info!

Major Red Flag: Besides the non-stock color on the speedometer, it has been replaced with a non-ASR 400E/E420 instrument cluster, and it has a MAJOR rollback. In 2022 this car had 195kmi on it. Probably has around 200k now. Selling with 75k is massive fraud. I was going to say the car looked like it had more wear than it should with 75k and yep, AutoCheck / Carfax confirms it.

Also, the heat shield has completely rusted off the catalyst pipe... and it has aftermarket cats. [It almost certainly will not pass CA emissions testing until CARB-approved catalysts are installed.] Strong possibility of rust elsewhere on the car, since it appears to have been sold new around NY, and later spent time in MN.

UPDATE: The headlight lenses are left-hand-traffic (UK/Japan/Australia), but appear to be E500 lenses. No way to tell if the headlights themselves are LHT or not (the reflectors are different vs RHT). The passenger side headlight appears to have a failed gasket/seal, and the lens has condensation internally, which means the reflectors may corrode quickly if this isn't fixed immediately. AND, the driver side headlight has 1 broken retaining clip. There are no good photos of the headlights with the hood up to check for additional broken clips. The plastic clips are part of the headlight bucket/assembly and are difficult (nearly impossible) to repair. The lights DO appear to be correct 036 headlights (no shield over H3 bulb) but again, unknown if the reflectors are LHT or RHT.

Oh, plus accident history which might explain the full facelift... and the color change from 199 to 040.

VIN = WDBEA36E9NB692308

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1992-mercedes-benz-500e-91/

Datacard: https://www.lastvin.com/vin/az1nGEyM6v1Exv67l

1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E​

This 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E remained registered in California from 1996 until it was relocated to Minnesota in 2025, and it was subsequently acquired by the selling dealer in Georgia. The car has been retrofitted with a 1994-style hood, grille, and headlights, 19″ Carlsson alloy wheels, a wood- and leather-trimmed steering wheel, a later-style shifter, and revised instrument cluster faces, and it is powered by a 5.0-liter M119 V8 paired with a four-speed automatic transmission. Finished in black over matching leather upholstery, the car is further equipped with a power sunroof, fog lights, Automatic Slip Control, automatic climate control, a CD stereo, heated power-adjustable front seats, and cruise control. This W124 500E is now offered in Georgia by the selling dealer with a Carfax report and a clean Minnesota title.

The 500E was assembled by Porsche and featured wheel arch flares, revised bodywork, and a lower ride height when compared to other W124 models. This example was finished in Black Pearl Metallic (199) from the factory and features matching bumper covers and lower cladding along with a 1994 hood, grille, and headlights. Additional exterior features include integrated fog lights, a retractable antenna, and a power sunroof. The Carfax report lists an accident reported with another motor vehicle in April 1995, though no additional information is available.

The 19″ Carlsson alloy wheels were installed under previous ownership, and they are mounted with 245/35 front and 275/30 rear Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ tires. The car is equipped with Automatic Slip Control (ASR). Braking is handled by four-wheel ventilated discs.

The cabin features heated power-adjustable front seats upholstered in black leather along with a color-coordinated lower dashboard, door panels, and carpeting. Amenities include wood veneer trim, automatic climate control, a CD stereo, a power-adjustable steering column, dual front airbags, cruise control, and a retrofitted shifter with woodgrain trim.

The aftermarket wood-and leather-wrapped steering wheel frames a refurbished instrument cluster with a 160-mph speedometer, a tachometer with a 6k-rpm redline, an analog clock, and gauges for oil pressure, coolant temperature, and fuel level. The six-digit odometer shows 76k miles, a handful of which were added under current ownership. The instrument cluster features a green tachometer redline and accent lettering as well as a Porsche crest on the left side. [WARNING - MAJOR UNDERSTATEMENT AHEAD:] The Carfax report lists a mileage inconsistency in a May 2024 entry, and the total mileage is unknown.

The 5.0-liter M119 DOHC V8 was factory rated at 322 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque. The oil was recently changed, according to the selling dealer. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a four-speed automatic transmission. The rear exhaust resonator has been deleted.

The Carfax report lists the aforementioned accident and mileage inconsistency entries, and it indicates the car was designated a “Gross Polluter” by the state of California in January 1999.

 

[gsxr]

CARFAX attached.

 

[TimL]

Is the current seller the dude/dudette who rolled the odo back by a ridiculous amount? If so, then let's hope all prospective buyers find your post, @gsxr!

 

[gsxr]

Is the current seller the dude/dudette who rolled the odo back by a ridiculous amount? If so, then let's hope all prospective buyers find your post, @gsxr!

No, the current dealer just acquired the car about a month ago.

The odo rollback occurred at least a year ago, maybe longer. See the CarFax screenshot in post #2 above. The rtollback happened between late 2022 and early 2025. The previous owner may or may not have known about this.

 

[TimL]

That sucks for the current seller.......thankfully these cars don't care about miles, as long as they are well maintained, so it might still be a nice car for someone as long as there is a stack of maintenance receipts

 

[gsxr]

That sucks for the current seller.......thankfully these cars don't care about miles, as long as they are well maintained, so it might still be a nice car for someone as long as there is a stack of maintenance receipts

Yup. Current seller was warned ahead of time, IF they read the Manheim auction details - see below.

"Collector owned" my ass. Collectors don't own stuff with 200kmi and 5 owners.

Buyer beware, even dealers buying at auction. I wonder if this dealer got starry eyed over the odometer and somehow missed the CarFax report? If so, how embarrassing for them.

 

[Bogeyman]

There are many kinds of "collectors" - coins, baseball cards, garbage...

 

[gsxr]

I just noticed the entire instrument cluster was replaced with a non-ASR 034 cluster. This means no ASR warning triangle to alert you when ASR detects wheelspin, and no ASR fault indicator light either.

And, the headlight lenses are LHT. Driver headlight has 1 broken retaining clip. Catalysts are aftermarket. I updated the first post with details.

The dealer should have replaced the cluster with an ASR cluster from an 034 and rolled the odo forward to 200kmi before listing on BaHaT. Then it would have been a "mileage inconsistency" reported in 2024. As it sits, this is blatant fraud... I'm amazed / shocked / disappointed Manheim sold it like this in the first place.