MERCEDES-BENZ E 200 CABRIOLET – 1996
124,000 ORIGINAL KM · 3 OWNERS · ORIGINAL REGISTRATION PLATES · ASI gold plate
A rare and prestigious Mercedes-Benz E 200 Cabriolet A124, exceptionally well preserved
Presented here is a 1996 Mercedes-Benz E 200 Cabriolet from the 124 series, a car of significant historic and collector interest, featuring 124,000 original kilometres, only two owners, its original registration plate, and its original first-registration vehicle registration document.
The car also holds the prestigious ASI Targa Oro certification, obtained in 2019, an important recognition within the Italian historic-vehicle world.
IDENTIFICATION DATA
- Make: Mercedes-Benz
- Model: E 200 Cabriolet W124C / A124
- Year: 1996
- Chassis number: WDB1240601C236882
- Engine number: 111940-10-069554
- Displacement: 1,998 cc
- Mileage: 124,000 original km
- Certification: ASI Targa Oro
- Body: Cabriolet, 2 doors, 4 seats
- Exterior colour: Metallic Blue
- Interior: Blue leather
- Soft top: Blue
- Equipment: Full optional
HISTORY AND PROVENANCE
The car was first registered as a new lease vehicle in Milan on 14 May 1996 and still retains its original registration plate and original vehicle registration document from its first registration, particularly valuable features for a collector seeking a car with documented provenance and continuity of identity.
In 1998, the vehicle was purchased out of the lease.
In 2016, it entered an important private automobile collection, where it has always been preserved with the utmost care.
It has consistently undergone all mandatory periodic inspections and is currently fully compliant, with its inspection valid until September 2028.
In 2019, the car was awarded the prestigious ASI Targa Oro certification, one of the key credentials supporting its historic and collector status.
The car is described as being in impeccable condition. Particularly noteworthy is the engine compartment, where the original protective wax is still present on the engine bay and on the valve cover, a detail of considerable interest to collectors looking for a carefully preserved vehicle, including in areas that are normally less visible.
THE 124 CABRIOLET: A HISTORIC MODEL
The Mercedes-Benz 124 Series represents one of the most important chapters in the history of Mercedes-Benz. Introduced in 1984 and produced until 1997, the series was designed under the direction of stylist Bruno Sacco and became one of the most recognisable Mercedes-Benz models of the modern era. From 1993 onwards, the series officially adopted the E-Class designation.
The A124 Cabriolet, introduced in 1991, marked Mercedes-Benz’s return to the prestigious four-seat convertible segment after a long absence.
Converting the coupé architecture into an open-top car required extensive structural redevelopment, with more than 1,000 components modified, reinforced or added to compensate for the loss of the fixed roof and maintain high levels of rigidity and safety.
Production of the A124 ended in July 1997, making it the last body style of the 124 family to remain in production. A total of 33,952 Cabriolets were built, including 15,380 four-cylinder cars and 18,572 six-cylinder cars.
Within this already limited production run, the E 200 Cabriolet is particularly interesting: a total of 6,922 examples were produced. The 2.0-litre version was initially intended for export markets including Italy, Greece and Portugal, giving the E 200 a particularly strong historical connection with the Italian market.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
The E 200 Cabriolet is powered by the sophisticated Mercedes-Benz M111.940 engine, an inline four-cylinder unit mounted longitudinally at the front.
The engine features:
- 1,998 cc
- Inline four-cylinder configuration
- 16 valves
- twin overhead camshafts
- electronic fuel injection
- three-way catalytic converter
- 136 hp (100 kW) at 5,500 rpm
- 190 Nm at 4,000 rpm
- rear-wheel drive
- five-speed manual gearbox, with a four-speed automatic transmission also available within the range.
The main dimensions are approximately 4.655 metres in length, 1.740 metres in width and 1.391 metres in height, with a 2.715-metre wheelbase. The car offers four seats and a 70-litre fuel tank.
The factory-declared top speed of the manual version is approximately 200 km/h, with 0–100 km/h acceleration in the region of 13 seconds, figures reflecting the E 200 Cabriolet’s character as a refined grand-touring automobile rather than an extreme sports car.
ENGINEERING AND REFINEMENT OF THE A124 CABRIOLET
One of the most fascinating aspects of the A124 is the engineering required to transform the robust 124 Series architecture into a four-seat convertible.
The absence of a fixed roof required extensive structural reinforcement and dedicated safety solutions. The car also incorporated an advanced rollover-protection system, with elements integrated into the rear head restraints that could automatically deploy in the event of a rollover.
The fully retractable soft top featured a glass rear window, an especially sophisticated solution for its period, offering advantages in both visibility and long-term durability. The roof structure consisted of 27 components and 34 joints; the electro-hydraulic system employed six hydraulic cylinders, a pump and an elaborate network of valves and switches to control opening, closing and correct locking of the soft top.
The 124 Series was also pioneering in several safety and comfort features. Mercedes-Benz highlights among the family’s innovations its wide-area panoramic windscreen wiper and the introduction of front airbags as standard equipment during the later stages of production.
EQUIPMENT AND CONFIGURATION
This example is described as having Full Optional equipment, combined with a particularly elegant and classic specification:
Metallic Blue exterior · Blue soft top · Blue leather interior.
The colour combination gives the car a distinctive Mercedes-Benz identity, equally attractive with the roof closed or in open-air configuration.
WHY THIS IS A COLLECTOR’S EXAMPLE
The historic significance of this E 200 Cabriolet lies not only in the relatively limited production figures of the model, but above all in the continuity of its documented history.
The car combines:
- 124,000 original km
- original registration plate
- original first-registration vehicle document
- first registered in Milan on 14 May 1996
- documented lease history, followed by purchase out of the lease in 1998
- entry into an important automobile collection in 2016
- particularly careful preservation
- all mandatory inspections carried out
- inspection currently valid until September 2028
- ASI Targa Oro certification obtained in 2019
- impeccable stated condition
- preservation of the original protective wax in the engine compartment and on the valve cover.
It is therefore an example combining limited production, documentary authenticity, a very low number of owners, Italian provenance, historic certification and careful preservation — qualities particularly sought after in the classic Mercedes-Benz market.
Today, the E 200 Cabriolet A124 represents one of the most authentic ways to experience the Mercedes-Benz philosophy of the 1990s: timeless elegance, sophisticated engineering, long-distance comfort and construction conceived for lasting durability.
