Mercedes-Benz W124 EL-CLASSICO, 1993 / Classic, reliable everyday car / project, Helsinki

🚗 El Classico – Mercedes-Benz 300 TD, 1993 🚗

For sale: not a typical van — this is a Mercedes-Benz W124, registered as a van, but a classic W124 Merc known for its durability and driving feel. As a van the annual tax is €367.92.

The car has been with the same owner (me) since 2013. I believe I was the third owner. It was bought in Tampere from an 85‑year‑old gentleman who had bought it from a vet in Rauma, who purchased it new. This car has more history than many a Netflix series.

Mileage at purchase: 380,000 km
Current mileage: 545,394 km
And yes — this example isn’t afraid of big numbers.

Service history is in order. There is a comprehensive service book; the early years were serviced at Veho and Auto Astrum. I recall stamps up to about 360,000 km. I did not continue with the brand workshops, but the car has been serviced regularly and all services are recorded. Parts were mainly sourced via Merteil; brake parts, springs and other wear items were replaced as needed.

The gearbox was serviced and reinforced in 2014 by Siekkinen. Siekkinen is known as Finland’s top Mercedes gearbox specialist, and the workshop’s comment stuck with me: “the body comes apart before the box fails.” That says quite a lot.

The injection pump has been adjusted slightly to make the engine livelier and torquier. This is noticeable in driving.

The car is currently having the rear shock absorber replaced. One side was replaced a year ago, so both will be sorted.

The right front wing was replaced and repainted when the lower wishbone failed a few years ago. There was rust on the lower edges of the front doors at the trim, and I feared the worst, but it was moderate. I even bought replacement sills as a precaution but returned them. Surfaces were repaired.

The car has been registered as a van for the entire time I’ve owned it. The seats are in storage and have barely been sat on. With me it has been a dog car — it has seen use, not just storage.

Since 2020 the car has been parked in summer because I bought a summer car; it has been driven in winters. Sold with a current MOT, left from driving into storage.

The original paint can still be seen in the valve cover — a small but nice detail that shows the engine bay hasn’t been unnecessarily tinkered with.

Known faults (honestly):

• Central locking does not work. A few years ago there was a fault with the boot lock and one module had to be disconnected. The locks work normally with the key.

• The headlight wipers were once bent on a car park, so the wiper arms have been removed entirely. This way the car passes inspection neatly.

• A piece is missing from the lower edge of the front bumper, damaged during the tow when the lower wishbone failed and the car was winched onto a trailer.

This is not a new car, but it has soul, history and many kilometres left.

It would make an excellent candidate for museum registration. I originally planned to do that myself because the value would rise significantly. Plans have since changed.

Suitable as a reliable daily for someone who values durable engineering and the feel of driving. But above all this is for you who see the potential and want to restore and increase the value — even into a stylish summer golf car.

The only question left is who continues the story.

Percentage of replaced parts: 0.5% (rear seat base removed 0.5%)

The vehicle must be collected within 7 days of the auction ending unless otherwise agreed - Huutokaupat.com.