I just shot this two hours ago on my walk, and those two hours since have been filled trying to figure out the puzzle this car represents. Yes, it’s a European version, which explains why it’s a four cylinder stick-shift 230C. But I still have a couple of questions for the owner, starting with this one: Why did you toss your orange peels in the street?
That might be fairly easy to answer. This is the one that’s throwing me. It says 230CE on the back. But there was no 230 CE until 1980. The old M115 SOHC four that had its roots way way back in 1955 was never fuel injected (E = Einspritzer); and the new injected M102 four didn’t replace it until 1980.
So maybe this isn’t really a 1977, as the owner alleges. Well, that crossed my mind, and there might have been a possible reason for that. Maybe it was alleged to be older than it really is in order to get around federal import regulations or something like that. The real W123 230CE didn’t arrive until 1980, so maybe this is from 1980 or later?
But there’s a problem with that theory too. I couldn’t help but notice that this coupe has genuine walnut burl wood instead of the cheaper zebrano wood used on the sedans. Here’s where my German bailed me out: when I want really good info, I head to the German wikipedia site, and sure enough, they had the answer: The W123 coupe did use walnut burl, but only though the 1979 model year.
By the way, that (dirty) cloth upholstery is typical Euro-spec. The famous MB Tex vinyl was almost only used for US-bound cars; Germans wouldn’t touch it, literally. And even leather was highly uncommon in Germany until very late in the great Leather Wave. Cloth, or more typically a finely-trimmed velour in nicer cars, was the default in Krautmobiles until quite recently. That includes the most expensive S-Class sedans.
Back to the matter at hand: I’m going to guess that it’s more likely the badge on the trunk was replaced rather than the wood in the dash. That would make this a 1977 230C, with the carbureted M115 2.3L four, which made all of 109 PS (about 111 HP) at a very modest 4800 rpm. A taxi motor, if someone wanted a gas MB taxi.
And I just remembered one more question: who in the hell would put such cheap wire wheel covers on such a handsome car?
I think the JC Whitney wheel covers were a no-cost option in 1978, making it even more of a mystery
I wouldn’t touch this thing with a 10 foot pole, because what’s an old Merc without the standup hood ornament???
But Honey! It’s a Mercedes!
(Sorry that’s the only line I could think of that someone would try to use to justify such an expensive purchase for what is truly a 2 door taxi.)
I’d rather have these questions answered. “How many times a week does someone stop into “Whirled Pies” disappointed that it is not a bakery?” The other question would be; “Can I get a “World Pie Whirled Pie”? What toppings would that have?”
Very nice. I went shopping for a 280CE a while back and only found one in my area. It’s always been a little dream of mine to fly to the other end of the country, buy a car, and drive it back home to Tennessee… just not in the middle of winter. I’m afraid my neighbors would run me out of town if I bought another car.
$2500 is a pretty good price.
Surprising comment of the day: I want this car. I have always had a weakness for the coupe body style of this era MB, and any real MB has always had a stick shift, in my book. I don’t care if it isn’t fast. If the price were right, it wouldn’t even have to run. Just so I could sit in my garage and grip the huge steering wheel while looking out at the MB star at the end of the hood and listening to the bank-vault-like sound of the door slam over and over and over again.
An interesting car for sure with the coupe body style, European specification and four speed manual. Mercedes manuals aren’t know for their precision (I know my 220D has a rather rubbery feel) but with a four cylinder engine I think I’d want one to make the most of limited power available. This car truly needs a set of stock wheel covers right away.
The interior strikes me as very modern looking for 1977.
Yes; compared to typical American interiors of the Great Brougham Epoch, the W123 interior was a glimpse into the future. Eventually, the Americans all started copying it it to one extent or another.
What year is your 220D? What else do you have?
Right now I only have a 1970 220D as well as a 1971 220D (for parts). Both are four speeds.
Diesel automatic is pure stupidity if you want to drive a diesel properly.
MB manuals of this era are awful. The throw on the shifter is way too long and had a poor relationship with the clutch.
Then again, the four speed auto was even worse, a herky-jerky affair.
Surely the owner could figure out the build year from body labels or the owner’s manual. I endorse the view that the model badge is an imprecise replacement for a damaged/nonexistent original — MB customers had/have the option of deleting it. So far as I can tell, that custom is either from rich Germans modestly not wanting to flaunt their wealth, or along related lines, a holdover fear of Baader-Meinhof type terrorists kidnapping presumed capitalists who could afford high-end models. And maybe the woodwork is aftermarket. I found evidence that many Germans have a phobia of synthetic materials, so perhaps there’s some retailer there for authentic woodgrain paneling which fits MB models.
When I visited Germany, I was astounded at how many more MB models were sold there, no doubt due to a reluctance to Federalize those with little market demand here, particularly those with small-displacement engines.
Orange peels in the street? Maybe the driver’s an environmentalist hoping rodents or birds will carry them off, instead of further burdening Oregon’s landfills.☺
The zebrano wood used on the sedans (and coupes after 1979) is genuine wood too, just not as expensive as the burled walnut, which was typically reserved for the top-line S-Series cars.
I’ve convinced myself that that trunk badge is not original; it’s mounted too high. Here’s a picture of how it should be mounted.
During the W116 S Class run (1972 – 1980) burl walnut was a standard fitting in the 116.036 (450 SEL 6.9) models only. May have been optionally available in others. Zebrano certainly continued into W126s.
My question is what is holding the “For Sale” signs all over the car? I would hope magnets. Something else, like duct tape, could really be counterproductive for the seller.
That’s a pretty car. I’m a sucker for lighter shades of metallic blue with light colored interiors. it’s probably for the best that it is for sale on the west coast, and I’m on the east coast. I’d rather have the 4-speed too! Wonder if it has A/C?
Very unlikely. The popularization of A/C came quite late to Germany, except for on the most expensive cars.
True, and I think it’s hilarious. One of my dad’s friends from Hamburg, Germany had a 500SE (W126, mid-1980s) without AC. Driving this car in Italy in the summer heat, he was convinced that AC would give him bronchitis.
A few years ago, Mercedes was still sending junk mail to Mercedes owners trying to convince them to retrofit AC into the cars that had been bought without AC.
Titles can get entertaining. In 1974 I moved to California and my buddy (also moving) bought a Honda CB550 in San Jose. He was thrilled to get a title calling it a 1947 model, with the very low DMV registration fees to match. Best 1947 bike I ever drove. 🙂
That’s a pretty nice car. Even with a four speed manual, I’d buy it. I’d have to get rid of the cheap wires, though. I can’t abide with the throwing of orange peels out, either.
I remember when I bought my Dodge new in 1976, I picked up a friend, he tried to get in the car while eating a pear. I told him to eat his pear outside. He was quite insulted by my remark, and sarcastically told me I was pear anoid. The guy was a real a–hole. Haven’t seen him in 20 or so years, last I knew he was disbarred as a lawyer.
I never realized that MB Tex was unpopular in Germany.
A real shame that the walnut wasn’t used on more US Benzes. (Just the top-line S-classes, I think.) I’ve owned a couple with zebrano, and it’s just plain ugly. I can’t begin to explain how baffled I was when Cadillac started using the stuff in Sevilles (and DeVilles?) Usually I approve of copying the Germans…. but not that!
Anyway. Intriguing car. Any idea how the cost of the fancy interior would’ve compared to a better engine?
That is the standard interior. The W123 coupes came standard with walnut trim through 1979, then switched to zebrano wood trim for 1980.The coupes generally always were better trimmed than the low-level sedans.
Another theory: perhaps the dash was replaced with one from a junked 1980+ model. Pretty unlikely, I’ll admit.
Someone should call the guy to clear all this up (I would, but I’m too cheap to pay a long-distance charge for something like this). He should be grateful for the free publicity. Just don’t mention the wheel covers ☺
As per the picture I posted above, it clearly shows that the trunk emblem was put on too high. Many Germans ordered their Mercedes without the model emblem; this one was obviously added later, from the wrong car.
That was a popular Yuppie trick on BMWs buy the cheap 1800 3 series then glue the performance model badges on
The W123 bodystyle was a homely one that didn’t look any better as a coupe. It looked like it was designed by engineers, at least to me. The W115 (280C) made a delightful coupe with that square rear quarter window and wraparound bumper. The W124 (300CE) is truly a timeless design that looked great as a coupe or sedan.
The too high rear emblem jumped out immediately. That always suggested poor body/paint work and for some reason was most often found on gray market cars. Speaking of which…
The folks federalizing Pagodas, W118s (280SE) and W115s would rarely get the side-marker lights in the right position. Did this bother anyone else?
Many had those AUTOMATIC emblems on the rear. I found it odd that an auto trans would be so prestigious to German customers as late as the early 70s. BMWs had it too.
Shouldn’t we be calling this car a hardtop?
I feel the exact opposite. I love the zebrano in our w124 wagon and feel that the burled walnut looks cheaper. This is likely because of the acres of peel-and-stick burled walnut that was glued to the dash of every “upscale” American car during the brougham era. It’s not that I don’t love some of those cars, because I do, but I love their ornamentation more for the kitsch than for any semblance of authenticity.
The price seems right, especially the closer you could get to $2,000 in haggling. If I weren’t 1,800 miles away I’d buy it in a heartbeat, provided the engine and transmission seemed sound.
Buy a new star ($150 when I bought one for my old 300D in 1998, likely at least twice that by now… but worth it!) then toss out the wheelcovers and sunroof deflector, and steam clean the seats (or buy a set of nice sheepskin covers) and it would be a nice daily driver.
I like the coupe styling but a 4 cyl really I didnt realise these came in gutless all the coupes Ive seen tend to have larger engines and were luxury/performance orientated mind that could be to offset the humungous prices asked at the time for these cars.
I like this one! All the discrepancies could most certainly be ironed out at (somewhat) minimal cost. And, of course, those Wal-Mart wheel covers HAVE to go!
I love the first photo. For some reason I think a Prius would look so much more appropriate sitting there (minus the orange peels).
Losing a wheelcover on one of these cars has got to be a pain. Finding a match would be pretty much impossible. I think the “classic” Mercedes wheelcovers look so much better than the alloys I see on some of these things.
Welcome to Eugene! Well, that or a proper bio-diesel vintage Mercedes. Or Volvo 240.
Yes, that’s an endless area of disagreement, about the wheel covers and the Fuchs alloys. I rather like the alloys myself, if they’re the correct style an vintage. What I don’t like is seeing the newer MB alloys on these. Yuck.
Is that a child’s booster seat in the passenger seat ? WTF?
I would say if it isn’t rusty, then buy it. These were truly impeccably well engineered cars and the Euro model doesn’t have the power toys that always go wrong in MB cars of era, or the modern ones for that matter!
These are very well designed cars, easy to work on and the parts are surprisingly cheap and available.
It looks like corrosion has begun its work on this car. There are traces of it on the doorsills, and behind the rear wheel. W123s age gracefully: they hide the rust inside. What looks like a nice car from the outside could be a rustbucket under the surface.
I noticed it too. That’s all-too common with imports from Germany, which is why I wouldn’t touch one. Our west coast old Mercedes generally don’t have that problem, especially since the majority of the old ones originated in California.