1983 Mercedes-Benz 280E W123 – Today’s Tempter

By: Alex Affat, Unique Cars magazine

Date: 10.12.2019

After a cheap classic? Check out this three-owner Benz with full history

The W123 Mercedes-Benz was a world-beating saloon, and was a truly significant model in the marque’s history.

While the Three-pointed Star today bears a great reputation for engineering and innovation, it can be argued that their reputation started here.

The W123 range was expansive to say the least: powered by a 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 everyone, with coupes, saloon and wagon bodies available.

20 years before the W123, Benz was on the verge of collapse. The War had seen Daimler factories all but destroyed during Allied Bombing raids; and in a post-war climate where manufacturers weren’t as concerned with build quality and reliability; superb engineering and unprecedented mechanical robustness were seen as the only way forward in re-instilling a sense of brand identity and reputation.

The W123 is one of the archetypes of this over-engineered era of Benz: known to run the odo well past 1,000,000 kilometres with little mechanical issues.

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

For all its merits and panache – the W123 remains a remarkably affordable classic and a smart entry point for anyone after a useable weekend cruiser.

This W123 saloon comes from just three-owners since its delivery in 1983, and is supported by full service history.

It presents in very good condition both outside and in, finished in white over blue M-tex interior.

It currently shows 339,000kms on the odometer, but the car is said to be strong and reliable, making many trips to Wagga Wagga and up the NSW coast without fuss.

The W123 is based in Victoria, and is listed for $7,300.

Check out the full listing here!

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