A majestic W210 Mercedes-Benz E280, seen at a Mercedes dealer in south Beijing. The good old Benz was painted in a smooth shade of gray, and appeared to be in perfect shape.
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The second generation W210 E-Class was manufactured from 1995 until 2003. At the time its design was somewhat controversial, many said it was too soft and rounded, especially at the front. However that may be, I think it is a pretty car, and it has aged very well.
The E280 was powered by a 2.8 liter l6 engine with 201hp and 270nm, mated to a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic.
The W210 wasn’t sold in China in the modern way, with a dealer network and such, but it was officially exported in China by Daimler and sold in government-owned markets and maintained by so called ‘repair shops‘.
Other cars arrived via the gray market and diplomatic channel. The Chinese government bought a lot as well, and many of those cars ended up second hand on the civilian market. So all in all, there are quite a lot W210’s in the country.
The W211, the successor of the W210, was the first E-Class that was officially sold in China to the general public.
The leather needs some work, but the interior is otherwise all right. And the best thing is…
…. an original late 1990’s Nokia car phone! One day those will be worth more than the car they sit in.
Subtle alloys are original. Subtle spoiler in the boot lid. The whole car is somewhat subtle, especially in this gray. A beauty.
Never cars in the background lack W210’s character.
Have you seen a similar Mercedes in China? Show us! You can now upload images in the comments below.