FOR SALE 1994 E500 Limited, Sapphire Black/Black/Gray, $140k (California)

[CA E500LTD]

Up for sale is my 1994 E500 Limited with sapphire black (009U) paint over black/gray leather (288) and wood finish in black bird's eye maple (732). Current mileage is 85,258m/137510km. The vehicle is currently sitting on AMG Monoblock 18" wheels but comes with original 17" light allow wheels EVO - design (658), including the spare. Service receipts from Japan and the US accompany the vehicle, along with the original tools and manuals in both English and Japanese. The original radio head which connects to the disc changer in the trunk also comes with the vehicle but a bluetooth option is currently installed. Also included is one original key. Runs perfect and the drive - well if you know.

Vehicle was recently ceramic coated and everything works from the clock to the seat heaters. Imported from Japan in 2024 and currently sitting on a Montana Title.

VIN = WDB1240361C144479

Asking price is $139,500.

 

[gsxr]

Previous sale information at this link.

Car went from Germany to Japan, eventually ended up in Poland, and was recently imported from Poland to USA. Unless maybe it went from Poland back to Japan and then to USA? New cluster housing looks much better.

GLWS, and welcome to the forum!

 

[Otrebla49]

Welcome to the forum too @CA E500LTD

Previous sale information

Only adding infos about how previous auction ended in 2023/24:

https://www.classic.com/a/collecting-cars-auctions-e45zAkn/lots/1994-mercedes-benz-e500-limited-nBOA3ZW

GLWS!
Alberto

 

[gerryvz]

LoooL ... seller joined in September 2025. This is just his first post.

 

[CA E500LTD]

True on both fronts - didn't know about the site before then but lots of good information and members

 

[036]

Asking price is $139,500.

Is that a joke?

 

[cascade]

EUR 75,000 (USD $88,500) to USD $140,000 does seem like just a small uplift.

Can you detail out the work that's been done to the car since acquisition, to justify the price?

Perhaps the ceramic coating you had applied, is using 24K gold dust?

 

[Bogeyman]

Maybe he's from the future???

 

[CA E500LTD]

Come check it out if you are interested - replaced cluster, refinished all the wood trim, installed new hydrolic accumulators, sourced correct euro headlight lenses, resprayed both front and rear bumper, repaired and refinished bolsters, engine service (replaced distributor rotors, valve cover gaskets, rubber booth, electronic throttle body, throttle body hoses, replaced vacuum hoses, etc)

Only 18k gold dusk for the ceramic but feel free to make an offer.

 

[gerryvz]

That $140K is an asking price, correct?

Are you a dealer?

 

[CA E500LTD]

Not a dealer

 

[gsxr]

Come check it out if you are interested - replaced cluster, refinished all the wood trim, installed new hydrolic accumulators, sourced correct euro headlight lenses, resprayed both front and rear bumper, repaired and refinished bolsters, engine service (replaced distributor rotors, valve cover gaskets, rubber booth, electronic throttle body, throttle body hoses, replaced vacuum hoses, etc)

The headlight lenses do appear to be correct E500, but are for LHT (Left Hand Traffic)... UK / Japan / Australia.

Are the headlights themselves original Mercedes or Hella? Or are they Depo headlights with E500 lenses?

 

[CA E500LTD]

Hella headlights - thanks for asking

 

[cascade]

500Eboard PunchList™

1. Car’s lower cladding and bumper inserts have been repainted
2. Significantly creased leather in rear seat side bolsters
3. Seatbelt release buttons are somewhat faded to a reddish-pinkish hue
4. Original/stock Becker radio has been replaced with modern Continental unit; CD changer installed in factory location in trunk — still operational?
5. Significant dirt & detritus in spare tire well. Trunk area needs thorough cleaning
6. Odd, non-factory red sticker pasted on fuse box cover underhood
7. Windshield wiper mechanism/hinge cover significantly faded to gray
8. Incorrect (diesel-specific W124) hood pad installed
9. SLS fluid tank badly yellowed; circular sticker turned to brown
10. Appears to have headlight lenses for left-hand-drive countries
11. Tools in factory toolkit badly corroded / oxidized
12. Pattern of Limited leather on steering wheel is badly gouged and worn
13. Driver’s seat outer side bolster shows significant wear; has creasing and beginnings of a hole in the seam/stitching
14. Car’s sunroof appears to be significantly mis-adjusted, and shows as sunken in photos
15. “E500” badge on trunk positioned significantly lower than in factory position
16. Car has Montana registration yet shows California plates. Per California law, Montana registration is patently illegal***
17. Driver’s side edge of rear windscreen showing delamination along edge
18. Odd indentation or rectangular pattern on top of front seat folding armrest lid
19. Passenger-side front edge of center-console rolltop compartment has gouges out of MB-Tex covering
20. "Mercedes-Benz Product” windshield sticker was only used on US-market cars; was not originally installed by factory on this car
21. Incorrect (significantly too short) and chromed lug bolts used on car
22. Car is missing originally equipped factory fire extinguisher under front of driver’s seat
23. Original equipment MB Evo II wheels have been replaced with AMG Monoblock II wheels
24. Exhaust system has been replaced with non-factory system
25. Car’s original wood veneer color/pattern has been changed/replaced with a darker, more bland pattern
26. Odd whitish sticker remnant on plastic radiator cover

cc: @The Emperor
For $140K, I would expect ZERO flaws, not to mention very very low mileage.


*** It is illegal by California law to keep a Montana registration on a vehicle, if your primary residence is in California; if the car is kept and used mostly in California; and if you claim that Montana (or a sham Montana-based LLC) is the real registration state to avoid California taxes and DMV fees. California can pursue back taxes, penalties, fines and other enforcement if it finds you should have registered a vehicle there.

 

[The Emperor]

 

[gerryvz]

Not a dealer

Your assertion appears incorrect, given the notation on the license plate.


This now connects the dots, with regard to the near 2x uplift on the price as noted by @cascade. Classic flipper-dealer tactic.


You could have your dealer license yanked for breaking California law regarding registration of the vehicle, unless it (and you) are currently physically residing in the state of Montana.

 

[CA E500LTD]

Perfectly legal and no laws being broken for a car to sit on a wholesale dealer plate but thanks for the input

 

[gerryvz]

Word for the wise: people who blatantly lie on this forum, especially dealers who try to pass themselves off as ordinary sellers, are not particularly respected nor treated well here. For this car, we have documented history that extends well before your ownership.

Anyone buying this car from you, will likely Google the VIN and come across this thread, so they can see what and where the car is and has been, what it previously sold for, and what type of person they are dealing with.

 

[CA E500LTD]

Sunroof was not completely shut during the photos (as it is often open due to terrific weather) and the original EVO II wheels (a photo of which was included) are included with the vehicle

 

[CA E500LTD]

Word for the wise: people who blatantly lie on this forum, especially dealers who try to pass themselves off as ordinary sellers, are not particularly respected nor treated well here. For this car, we have documented history that extends well before your ownership.

Anyone buying this car from you, will likely Google the VIN and come across this thread, so they can see what and where the car is and has been, what it previously sold for, and what type of person they are dealing with.

Thanks for your input - more than half the licenses issued in California are wholesale licenses which are not dealers

 

[gerryvz]

Wholesale dealers cannot technically sell vehicles in their inventory, to the general public. They can only sell to other dealers.

Retail dealers (also who have dealer plates) can sell both to other dealers and to the general public.

So, why are you offering this car here on this site, for sale, when California law states very clearly, that wholesale dealers can ONLY sell to other dealers? You are advertising the car here to a "general public" audience. Dealers don't typically buy cars through this site.

Again, if you were to sell the car to a member of the general public here, or anywhere else, that is abuse of the wholeseale dealer plate and a clear violation of California law. Your "everybody's doing it" statement doesn't hold water. Advertising this car as a wholesale dealer to the general public is ethically shady, at very best.

 

[gerryvz]

more than half the licenses issued in California are wholesale licenses which are not dealers

And this statement is also a lie -- complete and utter bullshit.

If a California wholesale plate is not a dealer plate, then why does it have "DLR" on the left-hand side of the plate?

California DMV issues tens of millions of vehicle license plates annually (31 million issued in 2024).
Dealer/wholesale plates number in the tens of thousands, since they are tied directly to dealer inventory and dealer licensing.
It's very very easy to posit that (retail+wholesale) dealer plates issued annually would be WAY under 1% of total California plates in circulation.

 

[CA E500LTD]

More than half the dealer licenses issued are wholesale licenses - my apologies if you thought I was referencing license plates - wholesale dealers will use a retail person if needed to complete the transaction with a private party. I believe you referred to that as "cannot technically sell to the general public." Nothing nefarious or illegal. Wholesale dealers are also issued "DLR" plates. Not a single statement is a lie or otherwise but I understand you want to warn the general public about what you think is a shady or unethical seller/person.

The car is fantastic and I think the opinion of some on here that it is way overpriced has been made but willing to answer any questions. If it does not sell I get to enjoy it.

 

[Bogeyman]

Maybe you picked the wrong audience.

 

[CA E500LTD]

You are not incorrect