How many Mercedes-Benz 300E are left in New Zealand?
Rare 1 in 33,876 on the road Built 1986-2012 European
Updated from the NZTA Motor Vehicle Register, counted as at 31 August 2026. Recounted every month.
Six-cylinder heart of the W124 range, Mercedes' mid-size saloon launched in the mid-1980s. With a smooth 3.0-litre straight six and a slippery body, it was a fast, quiet car that could do huge mileages, and it is often held up as the high point of Mercedes build quality. The range was renamed E-Class in 1993.
Still on the road, by model year
The most are from 1990: 41 still registered. Every year is listed under the chart.
Every model year
| Model year | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 1986 | 10 |
| 1987 | 17 |
| 1988 | 8 |
| 1989 | 18 |
| 1990 | 41 |
| 1991 | 15 |
| 1992 | 23 |
| 1993 | 2 |
| 1996 | 1 |
| 1998 | 1 |
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2012 | 1 |
What Rare means
Spotto grades every car by how many are still registered in New Zealand. With 138 still registered, the Mercedes-Benz 300E is Rare: the grade for cars with 25 to 174 left.
By how many are left it ranks 37th of the 102 Mercedes-Benz models and equal 944th 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.