You can still find an E320 Cabrio at last year’s money

What’s happening to prices of Mercedes E320 cabs? In the UK, fine, low-mileage examples are up at £27k and in Europe they’re advertised at £40k. Bicester Sports & Classics has a silver ’94 with 39k and full history for £26,950 while a dealer in Amsterdam has an Azurite ’95 Sportline with 43k and full M-B history for £39,900.

But it was not ever thus. In April last year SWVA in Poole sold a ’95 in silver with 60k warranted miles, 15 stamps in the service book and out of ten-year ownership for £13,400 plus premium.

There’s been a definite movement in prices over the last 12 months as buyers realise that proper low-mileage examples of this posh high-tab four-seater convertible have become rare and desirable. The original list back in 1995 was north of £47,000.

But you can still find the odd example at last year’s money. GSF Cars in London has a silver ’94 E320 cab with 73k and full history for £15,450 while Michael Stockton Specialist Cars, also in London, has an Almandine Red ’94 with 83k and history for £16,490.

Massively over-engineered, the W124 convertible had 12 electrohydraulic valves and 10 electric relays just to lower and raise the thickly insulated canvas top, and stiffening the body required the redesign over 1000 saloon parts and 130kg more sheet metal. Only 12,229 were built between ’92 and ’97 and they’re now recognised as the finest mid-size drop-top Merc made, the last of the ‘Engineered like no other car’ Benzes. When production ceased in 1997, the door on an era of blameless German build quality closed with a well-assembled thunk.