The success story of the Mercedes-Benz 500E begins at the Paris Motor Show in 1990. There Mercedes-Benz presents the new top model of the 124 model series. The series in the upper mid-range segment sports a 5.0-litre V8 engine. The car is marketed as the Mercedes-Benz 500E. On the outside, the 240 kW (326 hp) car (as of October 1992, 235 kW / 320 hp) can only be distinguished from its sister models at second glance.
It has slightly more pronounced wing arches. The body sits some 23 millimetres lower. This and the modified front apron with recessed fog lights designate it as a top model. No wonder the Mercedes-Benz 500 E is considered a high-performance vehicle in a tailor-made suit.The performance of the Mercedes-Benz 500E really sets itself apart from other models in the series. With the standard 4-speed automatic transmission, the car reaches the 100km/h in just 5.9 seconds. The car has a (limited) top speed of 250km/h.
Co-operation between Porsche and Mercedes-Benz
Porsche assembles the Mercedes-Benz 500E in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen on behalf of Mercedes-Benz. Even during the development of the car, Porsche accompanied the project of the Mercedes-Benz 500E. In series production, where capacity is available at that time, Porsche takes over assembly of the vehicles. To this end, the Mercedes-Benz plant in Sindelfingen builds and paints the body-in-white. They ship the bodies with components from the Sindelfingen and Untertürkheim plants. The final assembly happens at the Porsche factory in Zuffenhausen. The comparatively small unit quantity of the Mercedes-Benz 500 E also fits very well with Porsche’s production processes.
10.000th Mercedes 500E presented as a gift to Hans Herrmann
Wendelin Wiedeking handss over the 10.000th Mercedes-Benz 500E high-performance saloon to Hans Herrmann on October 7th 1994. Herrmann, who lives in Stuttgart, has a strong connections with both manufacturers. As a member of the factory race-teams for both Porsche and Mercedes, Herrmann achieved many successes. In 1970 Porsche achieved the first outright victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours, with Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood in the Porsche 917.
Pictures courtesy Mercedes-Benz
