The seller of today’s E320 claims to have all of the car’s service receipts. Let’s see if that treat and an appreciably clean appearance warrants adding a sales receipt to the file.

I think we all can agree that yesterday’s was the drunken roommate’s answer to a question nobody asked. That might have made it easy to dismiss, but we still had to weigh it against its $10,999 price by way of the old sow’s ear/silk purse equation. The CrossCabriolet didn’t fare very well there either, taking it on the chin with a massive 82 percent No Dice loss.

Being unpopular due to aesthetics is one thing. What, however, about falling from favor just because you’ve been around a long time and your role is being usurped by a fresher, perhaps hipper, face? You can direct that question to the iPod now that we’re in the iPhone era. You can also raise the same argument about the station wagon in the era of the crossover craze.

There’s a lot to be said for the utility and ease of use that the traditional station wagon affords. And, while it’s shrinking, the category still does have its adherents. Today’s is for them.

The W124 is perhaps the last great Mercedes midsizer. Sure, the later cars are good, but they seem to lack the hand-built, carved-from-a-billet feeling that these and earlier editions provide. As evidence of this, take a look at today’s Polar White over Gray estate. It looks amazing, right? And it’s not just the car’s condition: The W124, especially in wagon form, remains one of the most timeless Mercedes designs.

Now consider that appearance against the 246,000 miles this Benz has done over the course of its 27-year life. That’s pretty remarkable for any car, and assuredly so for one that looks this good today.

Now, to be fair, not all of this car made it that far. The ad notes that the top end of the M104 straight-six was rebuilt at 161K. The four-speed automatic was likewise refreshed slightly earlier at 158K. The seller claims a total of $35,000 in repairs and maintenance over the years, and there’s a fat folder of receipts on file to back that up.

We know that investment doesn’t often equal value, but knowing that the car has been well cared for and dutifully maintained over its life can influence its worth. Obviously, that’s especially so when the car is in as nice of shape as this Benz seems to be. The car is claimed to have been garage-kept in Southern California its entire life, and it appears to be free of both rust or sun damage. Its color combo may not be the most exciting you could find, but the paint seems to still hold a shine, while the MB Tex interior looks to be in move-in condition.

There does seem to be a small break in the leatherette on the driver’s seat, which is surprising considering MB Tex’s stellar reputation for durability. The burlwood on the center console also shows a bit of age, but that’s a small gift to the car-eating gods when you take the rest of the wagon into account.

The only other potential letdown here is that the car seems to lack the desirable third-row seat in the load area. That’s potentially source-able and there are aftermarket options as well, if needed.

Unlike some recent ads we have looked at, the seller of this Benz offers plenty of info about the car, right down to a list of dates and mileage for some of the most notable repairs. Additional info notes that the car runs and drives without issue and the a/c still blows cold. The title is clean, and aside from some minor bumps and scratches along the way (all repaired), the car seems to have led a charmed life.

Now it’s time for it to become part of someone else’s life. The asking price to make that happen is $5,500, and it’s up to you to say whether or not the car is worth that as it’s described. What do you say, could this classic and classy Benz bring that $5,500 asking? Or, do you consider that price, like the mileage, to be just too much?

You decide!

Orange County, California, , or go if the ad disappears.

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