This Mercedes-Benz Junkyard Is Proof That Luxury Cars Also Get Abandoned

The video below documents a stash of classic Mercedes-Benz rigs that have been abandoned for decades. Located somewhere in the United Kingdom, the property was home to an even larger collection. Our host, YouTube's "Exploring With Boss," says the place was sold in 2024, and most of the vehicles have been cleared since then. But even though he arrived a bit late, the yard still had more than a dozen Mercs waiting for a second chance.

You won't see any Gullwings or other sporty 1950s cars worth millions of dollars, but it's definitely worth checking out if you're a fan of old E-Class and S-Class models. I spotted no fewer than four W114/W115, one of the spiritual predecessors of the E-Class. Produced from 1968 to 1976 in nearly two million units, the W114/W115 is quite the iconic Merc.

It was the company's first post-WWII automobile to use a brand-new suspension system and the first to get the brand's five-cylinder diesel engine. It was designed by the legendary Paul Bracq.

The yard is also home to a W123, the successor to the W115. Introduced in 1975, the W123 was built for a whopping 11 years. It was even more popular than its predecessor, moving nearly 2.7 million units. The W123 gained a reputation for being well-built and reliable, with many examples exceeding 500,000 km (310,686 miles) with minor mechanical issues.

You'll also see its larger sibling, the W116. Launched in 1972, it was the first Mercedes-Benz model to be officially called S-Class. The European Car of the Year in 1974, the W116 was sold with both inline-six and V8 engines. This model spawned the iconic 450SEL 6.9, powered by a V8 rated at up to 286 horsepower.

If you're a fan of two-door models, some left a couple of R107 models in this yard. This successor to the W113 was around for a whopping 18 years. Production began in 1971 and came to a halt in 1989. The lineup included an SL roadster with a soft top and an SLC hardtop coupe.

Moving on to relatively newer models, the collection includes five E-Class models of the W124 variety: a four-door sedan, a coupe, and three station wagons. None of them are rare, but these W124 rigs are becoming increasingly more desirable.

Its bigger sibling, the W126, is also represented by a four-door sedan and a two-door coupe. The latter is one of the prettiest two-door Mercs ever built, in my book. It's also notably more desirable and expensive than the four-door version, with well-maintained examples fetching more than $50,000.

Finally, I spotted a W201, more commonly known as the 190 series or the "baby Benz." The predecessor to the C-Class sold nearly 1.9 million units in 11 years and set new benchmarks in the premium compact market. The series spawned the iconic 190E 2.5-16 Evo and Evo II models that competed against the first-generation BMW M3.

Sadly, these Mercs haven't been maintained in decades, and most of them aren't worth saving. Not only are they not rare enough, but restoring them would cost way more than their current market value.