£500 reward offered

[bolide]

£500 cash reward offered for the safe return of L35HGM, no questions asked

1993 E300 Multivalve Diesel estate, 7 seats, towbar with twin electrics, Pearl blue, dark blue cloth interior, climate control (single heat dial), Nokia car kit, unusual Mercedes 15" wheels, 205 Continentals, Brighton & Hove Residents parking permit at top of windscreen on n/s, loadspace protector in rear, n/s headlight wiper missing. Easily identifiable as a Multivalve Diesel by the air intake grill on the o/s/f wing

Last seen in Preston Park, Brighton at 1200 hours on Wednesday 22nd June, missing by 2000 hrs on Thursday 23 June. No glass broken so probably picked up on a tow truck or spec lift. I expect it will be on its way out of the country and won't surface through legitimate channels

Nick Froome
07976 299636

 

[Spinal]

Ouch... Good luck; I surf ebay alot, so I'll keep an eye out for you...

 

[Will]

I'm so sorry to hear this Nick - but from what I can gather it sounds like it's been grabbed by pro thieves (ie the lack of broken glass etc) - diesel merc, older model - export?

I'll certainly keep my eyes peeled.

Is there any chance of CCTV in the local area picking it up? Tried asking local residents if they've seen anything?

Will

 

[GrahamC230K]

Parkling enforfocement lorry avenue has been checked I take it? Brighton is hot as I am sure I don't need to tell you.

 

[david_h]

I agree with the others either it's in the pound as it got towed by a high-ab, or it's gone South Africa in a container.

these are very very popular cars in the southern continent as they are so well built, sorry to hear your loss.

 

[Dave Lewis]

Bad luck Nick. Hope you find it in the pound, otherwise, as you say, it could be on it's way to somewhere in Africa
Was this your personal car?

 

[jeremytaylor]

Sorry to hear of your loss, but I fear it's well on its way to Nigeria by now.

But try the council CCTV anyway, you might get lucky.

 

[glojo]

What a terrible disaster. It looks a very nice car, like others have said I would contact the officer dealing with the case and ask them to check CCTV footage, your car would not simply evaporeate.

If you post a reward I think you might have to modify the 'no questions asked' part, but that is something you don't want to hear, I would be gutted if it were my vehicle. Fingers crtossed that it will turn up. Remember KLP's car eventually surfaced.

Regards,
John

 

[grober]

Rotten luck mate . Hope that it turns up unscathed. If its been molested/stripped best that it disappears and you get the insurance money.

 

[big x]

I agree with the others either it's in the pound as it got towed by a high-ab, or it's gone South Africa in a container.

these are very very popular cars in the southern continent as they are so well built, sorry to hear your loss.

I remember reading about this some time ago in the paper.In London insurance companies where declining to take new W124 business as so many where being shipped abroad. Is it mainly diesels that are targeted ?

adam

 

[glojo]

I remember reading about this some time ago in the paper.In London insurance companies where declining to take new W124 business as so many where being shipped abroad. Is it mainly diesels that are targeted ?

adam

There was a long discussion on this forum. I believe there was a gang operating in the North London area (since been arrested). The media reported it as theft of modern E-class, but as you quite rightly say, it was the very nice W124.

John

 

[Howard]

All london based w124 owners had a letter sent to them by the police warning them of the thefts and to be vigilant .....

 

[jeremytaylor]

I think I'm right in saying that statistically, one of the most stolen cars until recently was the Peugeot 505 estate. You rarely see them these days, because they are mostly on their second life in Africa.

 

[219]

I'm sure it is also why you see so few W123s , because , if anything , they were even more durable than the W124 .

 

[aka$h]

Good Luck, its all too common now, A friend of mine had his w123 CE taken in a similar way, it didnt show up, worst bit is, if the car is never found you lose your no claims bonus

 

[Howard]

I'm sure it is also why you see so few W123s , because , if anything , they were even more durable than the W124 .

Hmmmm not sure about that ....

Ages ago we had a w123 280te (from new 'ROY 477W'), we maintained it scrupulously and eventually it just fell apart, more to the point things started going wrong and it became uneconomical to fix it , so it was replaced with a w124 300te ....

I think realistically the w123's are coming to the end of their allotted life span, unless owned by enthusiasts, who maintain them regardless of cost... remember the last ones were made on a C plate so 1985 , even the youngest is 20 years old .....

I think what Mercedes learned with the w123 went into the w124 which will be even longer lasting than the w123's (the w124's are seen as the 'move' from the old to the new for Mercedes) ....

Haing said that, i do love the old w123's with all the chrome on them, our w123 estate had chrome roof rails, the w124 had black alloy , it also had nice chrome bumpers instead of the body coloured mouldings of the w124...

 

[219]

It has just been EXACTLY 20 years , Howard .

The National W123 day at Highclere Castle , Newbury just took place last Sunday to celebrate the youngest ones being 20 years old and over 150 attended .

Here are some pics

http://www.pbase.com/rbk/123_day

I've had several as well : all 3 variants of 280 , a 200 saloon and a 230E saloon . My 1981 'X' reg 280CE is still in the family , looking and running well . They were certainly more solidly built than the 124s but running costs of the 280TE I changed for my 300TE were noticeably higher . Can't say that I ever had any significant problems with them though . On the other hand , the 300TE needed a £400 power steering/self levelling pump at 170,000 miles and an ASD diff at just under 200,000 miles .

I'd have said the 123 was the first 'modern' Merc with horizontal rather than vertical headlamps , plastic rather than metal door handles , an interior that can still put many current cars to shame and an aerodynamic 'wedge' shape in contrast to the W114/5 'New Generation' that preceeded it - though I liked those cars very much too .

 

[COUPE FREAK]

the w123's look more mercedes like than the w124's, jmpo,,

 

[jaymanek]

I missed that day, I only realised the day after!!! arrghhh I even had tickets!

 

[dougal74]

Nick,

Sorry to hear about it. As you know I have been looking for one of these so I will keep my eyes peeled.

Best of luck with getting a resolution,

Adam