Used Car of the Day: 1986 Mercedes-Benz 300E

Tim Healey
by Tim Healey

Today's UCOTD is a project car. This 1986 Mercedes-Benz 300E has a "good engine and transmission", according to the seller, but it's not clear what that means.

Furthermore, it doesn't look cosmetically good in the one photo of the exterior.


Generally, we like to run listings that are more detailed, and this one is pretty sparse. But it's Monday and we're easing back into the workweek -- and really, I picked this car because I know these Mercs always get attention among those who love weird cars from the '80s.

The only other pieces of info we have here are that the car has 145,000 miles and it's for sale by the original owner. Oh, and the price is a bargain at $799.

So click here to take a closer look. Perhaps you can get this ride into nicer shape.

[Images: Seller]

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Tim Healey
Tim Healey

Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.

More by Tim Healey

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3 of 49 comments
  • ChristianWimmer ChristianWimmer on Oct 23, 2023

    Had the same engine in my 1985 Mercedes 300SE W126. Smooth, powerful and surprisingly fuel efficient (if you drove normally you could get 9-10 L / 100 km) and of course powerful. If anything can be saved from this car it’s the engine and maybe the transmission - provided the owner didn’t mess with either.

    • Jeff Jeff on Oct 25, 2023

      145,000 miles is low mileage for one of these I bet that if it is not running it could be made to run and likely with not much effort. Wouldn't put a lot of money into restoring it but if it were driveable it might make a decent commuter vehicle or as a backup vehicle.


  • Stephen Stephen on Dec 14, 2023

    In 2009 I moved to Australia from Canada and feared making an amature mistake on the "wrong side" of the road, so I purchased a 1987 300E. RHD turned out to be a false fear and our family bought a new SUV but I kept the Benz as it ran and drove so well. I even took it wild boar hunting where it crossed streams. I sold it to my mechanic when I moved back, he dropped us at the airport with it. At 263k km, it was great. I have had a couple other newer Benz, but miss the 300E the most.

  • 2ACL I have a soft spot for high-performance, shark-nosed Lancers (I considered the less-potent Ralliart during the period in which I eventually selected my first TL SH-AWD), but it's can be challenging to find a specimen that doesn't exhibit signs of abuse, and while most of the components are sufficiently universal in their function to service without manufacturer support, the SST isn't one of them. The shops that specialize in it are familiar with the failure as described by the seller and thus might be able to fix this one at a substantial savings to replacement. There's only a handful of them in the nation, however. A salvaged unit is another option, but the usual risks are magnified by similar logistical challenges to trying to save the original.I hope this is a case of the seller overvaluing the Evo market rather than still owing or having put the mods on credit. Because the best offer won't be anywhere near the current listing.
  • Peter Buying an EV from Toyota is like buying a Bible from Donald Trump. Don’t be surprised if some very important parts are left out.
  • Sheila I have a 2016 Kia Sorento that just threw a rod out of the engine case. Filed a claim for new engine and was denied…..due to a loop hole that was included in the Class Action Engine Settlement so Hyundai and Kia would be able to deny a large percentage of cars with prematurely failed engines. It’s called the KSDS Improvement Campaign. Ever hear of such a thing? It’s not even a Recall, although they know these engines are very dangerous. As unknowing consumers load themselves and kids in them everyday. Are their any new Class Action Lawsuits that anyone knows of?
  • Alan Well, it will take 30 years to fix Nissan up after the Renault Alliance reduced Nissan to a paltry mess.I think Nissan will eventually improve.
  • Alan This will be overpriced for what it offers.I think the "Western" auto manufacturers rip off the consumer with the Thai and Chinese made vehicles.A Chinese made Model 3 in Australia is over $70k AUD(for 1995 $45k USD) which is far more expensive than a similar Chinesium EV of equal or better quality and loaded with goodies.Chinese pickups are $20k to $30k cheaper than Thai built pickups from Ford and the Japanese brands. Who's ripping who off?
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