1985 Mercedes-Benz 200 D: Family Ties: W124 Has Been in the Family for 37 Years - Car of the Week

Like many Mercedes-Benz cars, this Mercedes-Benz 200 D from 1985 also has a story that tells of a lot of love, dedication and strong ties of empathy towards its star. What’s special about this W124 is that it’s been in the family for over 37 years. If the current owner, Jurgen Martern, has his way, nothing will change for the next 37 years. Since 2014, the 55-year-old MIB can call himself the owner, driver, maintainer and caretaker of a family heirloom called a Mercedes-Benz 200 D. He received the mid-range sedan as a gift from his father. At this point, the car had been owned by his parents for 28 years. Mercedes-Fans.de told the story of this W124 to Jürgen Martern at the SCHÖNE STARNE Treffen 2023 in Hattingen.

After the Mercedes 200 D rolled off the assembly line in the spring of 1985, it did not immediately become a new member of the Martern family. His biography begins with a year of life in the car. As is well known, employees of car manufacturers often have the opportunity to purchase new cars at a discount. These are usually driven for no more than a year and then sold to used car dealers.

This was also the case here. Jürgen Martern reports: “The first owner of a Mercedes-Benz 200 D was an employee of the Mercedes-Benz Sindelfingen plant. She registered her W124 in May 1985. She sold it with around 14,000 kilometres on the clock.
The town of Bergisch Gladbach is located near Cologne and is part of the Mathern family’s homeland.’ This meant that the Mercedes-Benz, which had originally been driven around Swabia, was now closer to its future long-term owner.

encounter

Jürgen Martern’s parents were not born astronauts. They drove a VW Beetle, a Ford 12 M, a Ford 17 M, an Opel Commodore GSE and a VW Golf. All were good and reliable. But it was her lucky star, a Mercedes 200 D, that really brought her satisfaction with driving life. And that’s what happened, says her son Jürgen. “My father always had a dream of one day owning a Mercedes. For many years he was looking for the right offer. A tip from a friend led my parents to find out about a Mercedes 200 D that had been sitting in a car dealership in Bergisch Gladbach for a year. My parents didn’t think twice. Here we go. They saw the young star and fell in love immediately. After a short test drive, the Benz was purchased and registered in June 1986.”

In the rearview mirror. Mercedes-Benz W124 series

As we all know, many Mercedes-Benz models have made their mark on automotive history. The W124 series, launched in 1984, is one of them. Styled in a straightforward and fun way by Bruno Sacco, Joseph Galtzendorfer and Peter Pfeiffer, this series was the first E-Class, but for a long time it was officially sold as the “Middle Mercedes-Benz Class”. The W124, which had grown into a very popular Mercedes model, was given the E-Class logo only in 1993, quite late in its life, which lasted until 1996. By the way, the popularity of the W124 series continues to this day in the used car market, especially since its advantages include an above-average finish. Many people describe the development quality of this series as truly historic.

The Mercedes 200 D is now for women

One notable feature of this 200 D’s vehicle history is that his father, Martern, had never sat behind the wheel of a Mercedes, even though he had a valid driving licence and was under no restrictions on driving a motor vehicle. Jürgen Martern reports: “My father never drove a metre in a Mercedes. He only let my mother do it. Jürgen’s mother passed away in 2007.” Now there was no one to drive the car, and it remained permanently parked in the garage for the following five years.

Come back to life

When his son Jurgen needed a wheeled vehicle, it became clear that his Mercedes 200D’s years of neglect had come to an end. Fortunately, his “Sleeping Beauty” didn’t end up a bust. All it needed was a new battery. After a short pre-glow, the 72 horsepower engine fired up.

By the way, the reputation of the W124 being a very well-made car proves true in this case. He’s been in the business for 38 years, and of course, time has not left the Benz completely untouched. The 200 D, however, cannot be stripped down significantly. So far, there are two new fenders, a few metal sheets and a rear window were needed. The jack holder also needed modification. And the rear area was completely restored. The rear axle has been ice-blasted. We also replaced the bearings and rubbers with new ones.

It’s important to the trained chemical engineer that his Mercedes, which currently has just over 217,000km on the clock, is wax sealed throughout, with plastic parts ceramic sealed, and the MB-Tex interior looks flawless.

Intention to separate

The fact that the Mercedes-Benz was still in perfect working order when he resumed driving initially gave father Martern the idea to sell the W124. But the son persuaded him not to. In 2014, his father finally gifted him the 200 D. After carrying out the necessary repair work and getting the H number plates in 2015, father and son set off on a journey in their new “vintage car” that, according to Jürgen Martern, was very emotional. “My father was very happy at that moment and very glad that the 200 D was not sold at the time. He also passed away in 2017. For me, every kilometre of the 200 D is a beautiful memory with my parents. For this reason alone, the car is not for sale.”

At two metres tall, Jurgen Martern would probably suit an S-Class well because of its format, but the mid-range Benz is just part of his life and family history – and it’s a better fit in the long run: the 200 D has been part of Team Mathern for 37 years.
Jurgen Martern and his well-maintained classic Mercedes, driven all year round (in dry road conditions), are two people who want to spend a large part of their lives on the road together. Mercedes-Fans.de always wishes you a safe journey