Think of it this way: There was not enough demand to keep the manual option alive in the USA. Bet they would rot on the dealer's lots, if they were not special ordered. If there was little demand then, there will probably be little demand in the future. Sure, there are a handful of folks looking for them, but are they expecting to pay more? I bet more folks reading the classified ad will pass because of the 5-speed, than will be attracted by it. I doubt the 124 in general is rare enough to become particularly collectible.

Did you notice that the motor press was generally handed 5-speeds for testing in 1985/1986? Must have accounted for a decent percentage of the total production.

My own car was saved from a $1000 trade in offer. The dealer said it was worth less on the auction market because of the 5-speed. Fortunately, it was offered to me instead.

Anyways, I doubt your 5-speed is up for the torque of a V8. If you get into building a V8 124, perhaps you could salvage a manual transmission from an SL.

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1986 300E 5-Speed 240k mi.