Launched in 1995 as a replacement for the much-admired W124 generation, the new W210 E-Class was designed by Steve Mattin and delivered a sleeker, more modern look. The saloon that arrived first was joined by a cavernous estate, and both would do battle with the likes of the BMW 5 Series for executive car supremacy.
Unfortunately, the new model coincided with a dip in quality – the bodywork being the most noticeable issue – and compared to the bank-vault build of its predecessor it was something of a disappointment. Still, at least there was a wide range of petrol and diesel engines to choose from, including an E36 AMG that’s quite rare now and a 349bhp V8 for the E55 AMG that turned the luxury cruiser into a proper hot rod.
A facelift in 1999 brought a number of improvements, including styling tweaks and revised engines, and production would last until 2003. Around 1.65 million would be made including 280,000 estates, so despite the quality wobbles, it was a successful model for Mercedes.
BODYWORK
We’ve already alluded to the W210’s quality issues, and it’s here where they really manifested themselves. Mercedes said that a switch to water-based paint was the
