To mark the 30th anniversary of the Mercedes-Benz 500 E, the Porsche Museum sent two former team members, Michael Hölscher and Michael Mönig, on a journey to revisit the car’s history. The 500 E, a fast touring saloon, was commissioned by Daimler-Benz AG and designed by Porsche. It was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in 1990 and went on sale the following year.

Hölscher, who was the Project Manager Development, and Mönig from Prototype Management, were pleasantly surprised by how well the car has aged. “Looking at the car today, it’s almost impossible to believe that the design could be so perfect 30 years ago without CAD data,” said Hölscher. The two men marveled at the car’s distinctive wings and its Sapphire Black Metallic exterior.

In 1988, Porsche was awarded the contract by Daimler-Benz AG to develop the 500 E, which was equipped with a five-liter V8 four-valve engine from the 500 SL. By 1995, 10,479 examples had been built and sold as four-seaters. The 500 E had a standard four-speed automatic gearbox and could reach speeds of up to 250 km/h, with a power output of 326 PS and maximum torque of 480 newton meters.

Hölscher and Mönig have fond memories of the car, with Hölscher recalling a road trip to Lake Constance with three colleagues. The team opted for more powerful brakes during the prototype phase to ensure optimum brake balance.

The body assembly for the 500 E took place in the Reutter building of Werk 2 in Zuffenhausen, where the bodies were assembled with components from Mercedes-Benz in Sindelfingen and parts manufactured in-house. The production process took 18 days, with each car making the journey from Zuffenhausen to Sindelfingen twice.

The cooperation between Porsche and Daimler-Benz came at a crucial time for Porsche, as the company was facing a crisis due to declining revenue and production. The 500 E project not only helped Porsche overcome the crisis but also resulted in a classic car that is still appreciated and remembered 30 years later.

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