Car Mercedes Benz 500 E Limited Prototype 1993 for sale

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Chassis No. WDB1240361C011620

Engine No. 119.974.12.008230

Developed at the height of the W124 era, the Mercedes-Benz 500 E stood as one of the most ambitious collaborations in the marque's history. Conceived with Porsche engineering support and assembled between Mercedes-Benz Sindelfingen and Porsche's Rössle-Bau facility in Zuffenhausen where the 959 was produced, the hand-built sedan combined understated executive styling with bonafide V8 performance. The resulting production process was highly specialized and time-intensive, requiring a multi-site build sequence and over 18 days per vehicle.

As the model evolved through the early 1990s, Mercedes-Benz explored expanded personalization and appearance packages for its flagship sports sedan. This effort culminated in the 1993 Frankfurt IAA (Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung or International Automobile Exhibition), where the early "Limited" concept was presented for evaluation prior to series approval. This car, chassis number 011620, was prepared specifically for this purpose as a factory exhibition and validation car, functioning as a static display unit to assess press and customer reaction to the proposed design direction.

Built through Mercedes-Benz Sindelfingen in coordination with Porsche Zuffenhausen, this car was completed as a company exhibition vehicle (option 994) and configured in 199U Blue-Black Metallic over 000A Fabric upholstery. With no color or code given for the interior, it is reflective of its early internal development status as no color codes had been established yet for the Limited production. It was fitted with the distinctive two-tone Black and Green patterned leather interior, that would later gain the coveted code 286. It also retained earlier pre-facelift lower cladding while the newer style hood with integrated grill and revised headlights was used along with being fitted with AMG complete wheel equipment (option 794, 8.5 x 17), likely to ensure space for the 17-inch EVO II wheels that defined the production Limited models. The specification further included a comprehensive executive equipment set, highlighted by electrically adjustable memory heated front seats, automatic climate control, electric sliding roof, power rear window shade, anti-theft system, D-Net mobile telephone integration, Becker MB Exquisit audio with RDS and traffic decoding, CD change, and infrared central locking.

Serving as an internal marketing protype for product validation, its purpose was to evaluate visual and market response to the Limited concept prior to formal release of option code 958, which would later define production E 500 Limited models introduced for 1994 as noted in an internal memo available for review in the history file.

It was then likely retained internally by Mercedes-Benz as part of its factory exhibition and evaluation fleet. It is believed to have remained under manufacturer custody for an extended period before being first registered in Germany in 1998. Following this, the car entered a multi-country history including Japan, Sweden, and Germany, supported by consistent servicing and periodic TÜV inspections on file. CarVX documentation records inspections in Japan during 2007, a reported collision event in 2010 with subsequent repair confirmation which was noted during the auction inspection with no further details given. First road registration is recorded in 1998, consistent with declassification from internal factory use.

In 2021, chassis 011620 was imported to the United States, joining The Patina Collective. It shows approximately 68,578 kilometers (approximately 42,500 miles) at cataloging and presents in strong overall condition, with well-preserved exterior finishes and a lightly patinated but intact interior consistent with its use. As one of the earliest known physical embodiments of the 500 E Limited concept program, this 500 E occupies a singular position within Mercedes-Benz development history, directly bridging internal design validation and the eventual production E 500 Limited series production.

1993 Mercedes-Benz 500 E Limited Prototype | Global Icons: The Patina Collective

1993 Mercedes-Benz 500 E Limited Prototype | Global Icons: The Patina Collective

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