1981 Mercedes-Benz W123 280E – Today’s Tempter

By: Alex Affat, Unique Cars magazine

Date: 21.10.2019

After cheap useable classic? This Aussie-delivered W123 makes a strong case for itself

Mercedes-Benz has a history of world-class luxury saloons, but the W123 arguably represents the archetype of the three-pointed star’s reputation.

The range was expansive to say the least; with slew of four and six-cylinder petrol engines (both carburetted and injected), and four and five-cylinder diesels to choose from; there was seemingly an E-Class for every buyer, with coupes, saloon and wagon bodies to choose from.

These cars have a reputation for being able to run the odo past 1,000,000 kilometres with little mechanical issues; in an era where most competitors paid little attention to product longevity or safety.

Just 20 years earlier, Benz was hanging on by a thread: WW2 had seen Daimler factories suffer heavy bombing from Allied forces. A focus on superb engineering and unprecedented reliability was seen as the only way forward, and paid dividends in re-instilling a sense of brand identity and reputation.

Upon release, the waiting list for the W123 was over a year in most markets, and ultimately became the successful Mercedes-Benz model ever at the time, with 2.7 million units produced from 1976 to 1986; thanks to its unmatched attention to safety and quality.

For all its merits and panache – this generation of Benz remains remarkably affordable, and a smart buy for anyone after a useable weekend classic.

This Australian-delivered W123 saloon presents in top of the line 280E specification, with the 2.8lt inline-six and four-speed automatic transmission.

The car comes with full history since it was delivered to Mercedes Doncaster, and remains in superb and near-new condition.

This 280E is based in Melbourne and is listed for $8,499.

Check out the full listing here!

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