Lot 123456789790014: 1994 Mercedes-Benz E500

Yes, absolutely! Porsche really did build the Mercedes-Benz E500—and its predecessor, the 500E (1991-1993, renamed E500 in 1994). It’s one of the most fascinating collaborations in automotive history.

Here’s how it worked: Mercedes-Benz commissioned Porsche in 1989 because its own Sindelfingen production line couldn’t accommodate the extra-wide W124 body needed to fit the massive 5.0-liter M119 V8 engine. So Mercedes sent partially assembled body shells from Sindelfingen to Porsche’s “Reutter-Bau” plant in Zuffenhausen, where Porsche’s craftsmen assembled the chassis by hand.

At Porsche, they widened the fenders, modified the suspension and drivetrain, and installed that powerful V8. The cars then went back to Mercedes in Sindelfingen for final paint and interior trim—meaning each 500E/E500 made the trip between the two Stuttgart factories twice!

This collaboration couldn’t have come at a better time for Porsche: they were facing a financial crisis in the early 1990s, and this project helped keep their factories busy. Only about 10,479 examples were built between 1990-1995, making these cars quite rare—and highly collectible today.

So that 1994 E500 you’re looking at? It’s essentially a Porsche-built Mercedes, sometimes affectionately called a “Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing” or even the “Porsche that happened to be a Mercedes.”

Would you like to know more about what makes the E500 special, or how it compares to other performance sedans from that era?