Have I a situation?

[abecketts]

Came out to take smallest child to school this morning to be greeted by a rather worrying stain on the tarmac that seems to have leaked from the car. Our E320 W124 was bought as a stop gap and after 35,000 miles it has repaid that in droves. It has always leaked oil from the front of the engine in a small way and after heavy rain the tray under the car would seem to empty itself onto the tarmac leaving an oil stain. This deposit however is creamy in colour and looks like a battery acid deposit but the battery is leak free and not boiling up and under 1 year old so I suspect something else is leaking. Car does not consume water, no oil in water, oil level reduces very slowly 0.5 litre every 2500 miles or a month approx but at 143k and 15 years old that's not unreasonable is it?.

Whilst the car is regularly serviced, curing the oil leak would be a head gasket and loom which is I think uneconomic at the mo.

Any suggestions or hints as to what it may be?

Thanks

Paul