Woman Maths: Mercedes Benz 230TE Estate

Introducing my 1989, half-million mile 230TE wagon. It started life as an antique dealer’s car and travelled the length and breadth of Europe with pricey furniture in the boot. I’ve added maybe 60,000 miles since we bought it and managed a whopping 20,000 miles last year. It’s our ‘just take’ car: we’re driving to Thomas’ parents in Cumbria; ‘just take the wagon’. I’ve got a meeting in Germany; ‘just take the wagon’. Save one unfortunate instance with a failing wheel bearing, it’s never let me down. This good fortune may also be down to how much my favourite mechanic, Charlie, loves it; last time it visited him it came back with a brand new fan – unrequested but appreciated.

Not everyone loves a W124, though. A cyclist in Regents Park once shouted ‘get a better car’ at me. Dear reader, I was driving a Porsche-developed, 5-litre V8 500E. I was close to getting out and explaining exactly why that was impossible. On the other end of the scale, my E320 Hammer replica caused open-mouthed stares and a shy ‘cool car, lady’ at its first petrol stop.

Most importantly they are easy to love, cheap to buy and could outlive all of us with a little love and care. As the multiple shades of silver on my wagon can attest to, rust is an issue but I can forgive it when it’s still on its first engine in 500,000 miles and 35 years.

There’s a special kind of magic you feel when driving an older car. It’s almost as if they’re an extension of the family – a beloved but occasionally cantankerous uncle, perhaps? There’s a deep satisfaction in saving these old machines, a sentiment my friend John, who runs Blue Diamond at Bicester Heritage, once summed up perfectly.

‘My late and much-missed dad always taught me that we are custodians of these cars for a long period of our lives, but only a short period of the car’s life,’ he said, referring to the incredible Rileys he cares for. I like to think this philosophy applies here too.

If you are thinking of purchasing your own ‘just take’ wagon, here’s one black 300TE and a green E280 for your consideration.

If the worst were to happen and we could only afford to keep one car, I’d have to bid farewell to my beloved 500 SL, and Thomas would part ways with the CLK Black. Together, we’d embrace life as a one-wagon family.

Saying all that it’s just failed its MOT. Bloody ball joints…

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