Mercedes-benz E-class project
With the Government seemingly doing its level best to force dieselengined cars off the road, we decided that our next project car was going to be a diesel: a V6 CDI with Euro 4 emissions.
With rumours from Westminster of a scrappage scheme in the works (an announcement that was deferred in early May, mainly because there’s a looming general election), many diesel motors may well get traded-in. For me, that’s pure waste. These cars still have a purpose and to simply destroy them because we are now being told that petrol vehicles are better for the environment is nonsense.
Offering £2000 (or whatever figure is appointed) to scrap a roadworthy car is pointless. The £2000 will go towards a new vehicle, which will then lose £2000 in depreciation the moment it leaves the main dealer showroom. But I digress... Back in the late 1990s, the Mercedes E-class had a bad reputation for rust, especially around the wheelarches and front suspension leg to body support brackets. The company did a lot of work to restore that reputation and, from 2004 onwards, the E-class was the epitome of luxury motoring.
Our project, which Febi is sponsoring, came to us via BCA’S online bidding service. Based on a brief description and handful of images, I decided this twoowner, high-mileage example was ideal. Once delivered to the Knowles residence, I was delighted with the 2007 S211 estate. Sure it had a few body scrapes, but the engine was full of oil and it had genuine Merc wiper blades fitted!
There were two owner’s handbooks in the cabin, for some reason, but no service book, so it was good to later find out that a Merc dealer in Oxford had looked after our car since 2008.
With 200,000 miles on the clock, this Merc should reach half-a-million without a grumble. I do hope you enjoy our reports over the coming months.