Still, even I can look at the front suspension of a W124-generation Mercedes and say, "Hm. Something seems off here." What seems off is the spring setup used on cars with 4Matic all-wheel-drive.

Launched in November 1984, the Mercedes-Benz W124, the model that inaugurated the E-Class moniker in 1993, is nearing its 30th anniversary, a fact that many cars from this series appear to ignore.

The first and second E V12s, based on the W124 and W210 models ... Putting this kind of power to the tarmac through the rear wheels is a big challenge, even with the limited-slip differential ...

Inspiration often comes from the most unlikely of places, and in terms of the iconic Mercedes-Benz alloy wheels which were fitted to W201, W124, W126, R107 and R129 series cars, that inspiration ...

And apart from a Routemaster or an FX4 cab, do they come more stoic and dependable than a Mercedes W124 ... And this is what the W124 did. Yeah, the steering wheel was the diameter of the O2 ...

The long-discontinued W124 E-Class ... visit an authorised Mercedes-Benz workshop to fix these issues. There are some examples of the E 220 with factory-fitted alloy wheels and leather seats ...