1988 Mercedes-Benz 300 TE 4MATIC Brabus 3.6 | Global Icons: The Patina Collective
1988 Mercedes-Benz 300 TE 4MATIC Brabus 3.6 | Global Icons: The Patina Collective
Chassis No. WDB1242901F094381
Brabus was founded in 1977 in Bottrop, Germany, by Bodo Buschmann, who set out to extend Mercedes-Benz performance and individuality beyond factory specification. Drawing on his family's Mercedes-Benz retail background, Buschmann established Brabus as a fully integrated tuning house focused on complete engine conversions, chassis development, and bespoke interior execution rather than superficial modification. By the 1980s, the company had earned a reputation for producing high-output, Autobahn-focused Mercedes-Benz derivatives defined by disciplined engineering and understated, functional design.
Delivered new through the Kassel branch of Mercedes-Benz in December 1988, this 300 TE 4MATIC was specified as a comprehensively equipped all-wheel-drive estate, configured for year-round use and long-distance touring. Factory equipment included an auxiliary heater, electric sliding roof, electric windows front and rear, reinforced front seats, automatic antenna, and a trailer coupling. A double roller blind system further enhanced practicality, separating the cargo area from the passenger compartment when required. The S124 platform combined Mercedes-Benz durability and refinement with the added traction of 4MATIC, positioning it among the most capable wagons of its period.
The car was then upgraded with a Brabus tuned 3.6-liter M103 engine conversion. Paired with the five-speed manual transmission, significantly elevating performance of this extremely capable wagon. Brabus instrumentation was also added, including a 260 km/h speedometer and the Brabus-Tempamatic ambient air and engine oil temperature display, along with a Brabus steering wheel. The exterior is fitted with 17-inch Brabus Monoblock III wheels, while the interior, originally finished in black cloth, has been retrimmed in leather.
First registered in Germany on 23 December 1988, the car remained there for the majority of its life before being imported to the United States in 2022, where it subsequently joined The Patina Collective. At the time of cataloging, it shows 115,754 kilometers (approximately 72,000 miles) and represents one of the most uniquely specified examples of Mercedes-Benz's S124 platform enhanced by one of its most significant period tuning partners.