GALLERY: Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe through the years – W114, C123, C124, C208, C209, C207 and C238

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe lineage dates back almost fifty years, starting with the W114 series Coupe in 1968. A long line of svelte, sporty yet comfortable grand tourers, the E-Class Coupe family has gone through seven generations, including a short period wearing the CLK badge.

Oldest of all was the W114 Coupe, more known as the stroke/eight coupe. It was built off the Mercedes-Benz 250 Saloon of its time, but with distinctly sexier styling. Its windscreen was more angled, and it introduced a key design characteristic that is to feature to this day: frameless side windows with no B-pillars.

In 1977 came the C123 CE Coupe, a far more familiar sight here in Malaysia. This time around, the coupe featured a significantly shorter wheelbase compared to the base sedan model, for enhanced driving dynamics. As is clear to see, it also transitioned the grand tourer line into a lower, smaller, more athletic machine.

Next up was the C124 CE Coupe from 1987, no doubt one to bring back fond memories for a lot of Malaysians. A timeless classic, this model introduced a major redesign of the traditional Mercedes-Benz radiator grille in 1993, harmoniously integrated into the bonnet with a much slimmer chrome frame.

Then, came the C208 CLK Coupe in 1997. The E-Class Coupe, as the C124 was known from 1993 onwards, was replaced by a smaller, far sexier model with a more youthful appeal. Despite having its styling drawn from the W210 E-Class sedan, though, the CLK’s mechanicals were based on the simpler W202 C-Class platform.

This cost-effective strategy was again replicated with the C209 CLK in 2002 – based on the W203 C-Class, but with styling derived from the W211 E-Class. It featured a louvred grille with a centrally-mounted Mercedes star for the first time, which is to be a permanent mainstay for future Benz models with a sporty slant.

The year 2009 rolled by, and Mercedes took a quick U-turn by christening the new C207 model the E-Class Coupe once again, with styling to match the W212 E-Class sedan. However, it continued to be based on a C-Class platform, this time the far more dynamic W204. The brand then introduced a smaller C-Class Coupe model, which forced a rethink for the long-standing grand tourer range.

Fast forward to 2017, and we now have the C238 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe, once again built on a proper W213 E-Class platform. The model grew significantly larger both inside and out, with a far more comfort-oriented slant. It also benefited from the full raft of advanced technologies offered on the E-Class, a significant step forward from the outgoing model.

Do watch our detailed walk-around video of the new E-Class Coupe, and tell us what you think of the new model. If you have fond memories of any of the models featured here, do share them with us too!

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