How many Mercedes-Benz 260s are left in New Zealand?
Rare 1 in 89,901 on the road Built 1986-1999 European
Updated from the NZTA Motor Vehicle Register, counted as at 31 August 2026. Recounted every month.
A 2.6-litre straight six that Mercedes offered from the mid-1980s in three sizes of saloon: the compact 190E 2.6, the mid-size 260E in the W124 range, and the 260SE version of the S-Class. It was the smaller of the two smooth single-cam sixes of the time, sitting just under the 3.0-litre.
Still on the road, by model year
The most are from 1989: 11 still registered. Every year is listed under the chart.
Every model year
| Model year | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 1986 | 2 |
| 1987 | 5 |
| 1988 | 6 |
| 1989 | 11 |
| 1990 | 10 |
| 1991 | 7 |
| 1992 | 8 |
| 1998 | 2 |
| 1999 | 1 |
What Rare means
Spotto grades every car by how many are still registered in New Zealand. With 52 still registered, the Mercedes-Benz 260 is Rare: the grade for cars with 25 to 174 left.
By how many are left it ranks 55th of the 102 Mercedes-Benz models and equal 1,299th of all 2,903 cars in Spotto's catalogue.
The six grades: Common, 8,000 or more · Uncommon, 1,200 to 7,999 · Scarce, 175 to 1,199 · Rare, 25 to 174 · Super rare, 5 to 24 · Unicorn, fewer than 5.
Seen one?
Spotto grades every car on New Zealand roads by how many are still registered, down to the generation and the badge. Log the ones you spot, build a collection, and see who else has found one.