I’m almost embarrassed to write anything about the W123 on CC. I have a serious soft spot for them, but their ubiquity means they barely qualify as classics, in a way, and we’ve had many pieces on these cars already – not a few being authored by yours truly. Then again, I just wrote another Mini post, so why not? And when happening upon these three immobilized beauties, I felt like the rest of the world needed to know that W123s do die after a (long) while. And they apparently do so in threes.
The phrase “Storage Lot” in this post’s descriptor doesn’t quite fit, but it’s the best I could do. This is definitely not a junkyard, nor really anything like a storage lot. It’s just a strange purgatory-like parking lot, lost on the outskirts of Tokyo, posing as a (temporary?) resting place for a triplet of German quasi-evergreens. But that just wouldn’t cut it as a CCategory.
So we have three W123s here – which might be called a sextuple-U-369 – composed of a pair of Diesel wagons either side of a 230E saloon. Interesting in itself, as the majority of W123s seen in Japan are of the 280E variety.
All three cars still have their colour-coeded hubcaps, most of their brightwork (hood ornament included), all of the glass and headlights intact…
It really is the neatest group of out-of-commission Benzes you’ve ever seen. Even junkers are tidy in this country.
Here’s the beige interior of the beige wagon. Extremely clean for a car that is no longer deemed roadworthy.
Given the price of housing and hotel rooms in this city, renting this wagon as a temporary accommodation for a fistful of yen would make sense. Just because it’s immobile doesn’t mean it’s no longer useful.
The orange wagon, in contrast, has had a tougher life. Or it’s already started donating some of its parts, i.e. a door card. And who knows what else. I couldn’t get to the blue saloon in the middle all that easily, so I didn’t bother trying to get a photo of the interior, but it was very well-preserved.
The orange wagon has clearly been taking root here for a while. As the red-headed stepchild of the bunch, with its messy interior, missing trim pieces and odd stenciled markings.
It even had a sticker on the rear window that immediately struck a nostalgic note in me: this is a (very faded) portrait of King Bhumibol, who reigned in Thailand from 1946 to 2016. Having lived in and around Thailand from 2011 to 2019, that face is seared into my brain thanks to the Siamese obsession with displaying their royals everywhere. Very strange to see you here, Sire.
Pretty positive that these are kept here as organ donors for the myriad W123s still in active duty around Japan. It’s been over 35 years since the last ones were put together by now, so squirreling a few away to keep the rest of the fleet in running order is sound policy.
Still – no tarp or any sort of protection from the elements? With all the typhoons we’ve been getting lately? Harsh.
Guess these three are not going to look any better with passing time. Just like the rest of us, really. The W123 as a metaphor for life?
Related posts:
Curbside Recycling: 1984 Mercedes-Benz 300CD Turbo Diesel – What, Me Worry?, by Jim Klein
CC Capsule: 1980 Mercedes-Benz 280 TE (W123) Wagon – Estate Of Ecstasy, by T87
Curbside Outtake: Mercedes 300CD Coupe (W123) – Let Us Pay Homage One More Time, by PN
Curbside Classic: 1978 Mercedes-Benz 280 (W123) – Born To Greatness, by T87
Curbside Classic: 1985 Mercedes 300D Turbodiesel – More Than A Fashion Statement, by Perry Shoar
Mercedes Purgatory: Where W123s Awaited Their Bio-Diesel Reincarnation, by PN
CC Capsule: 1980 Mercedes-Benz 300D – The Ultimate Professor’s Car, by Jim Grey
CC Outtake: A Mercedes-Benz W123 Taxi in 2016, by Robert Kim
Vintage Review: 1977 Mercedes-Benz 280E – Teutonic Triumph, by GN
COAL: 1980 Mercedes Benz 300D – Slow and Steady Wins the Race, by Importamation
COAL: 1984 Mercedes Benz 300D Turbodiesel – One More Time, With Feeling, by Importamation
In-Motion Classic: Mercedes-Benz W123 in Heavy Traffic, by Yohai71
I have never understood having that orange color appeal to anyone, much less in great numbers.
Indeed. Why would you want School Bus Yellow for your personal car?
This is probably my favorite wheel cover ever, but in that color, not so much.
Having said that, Ford sold an awful lot of Mustangs and Mavericks in a color called Grabber Yellow that is pretty much this color.
Oddly, on my desk here at work is a Grabber Yellow ’70 Boss Mustang. My least favorite year, in my least favorite color. But then this diecast car came free with some car wax I bought once, thus why I have it….
Remember a “real” one of these @ “Butler County Ford”, in Butler PA.
Had to look it up and seems it is apricot orange.
These were Germany’s Checker taxi cabs. They appeal to me similarly as a Marathon.
Had an ’84 300TD sedan. I don’t miss it.
I imagine it’s sitting somewhere just like these three, dead but not buried.
Those 3 cars hardly seem like they are out of commission because they look better than many on the road yet today. How do you know they are not being used? No plates?
I’m not sure what the model number was any more, but in the early 1990’s I had a 1985 sedan in light blue with dark blue Benz Tex, diesel and automatic. I think it was a 300TD? Anyhow, it was a tank and rode very well, but it was the slowest and noisiest car I’ve ever owned.
I guess it only makes sense that even parts cars in Japan would be complete and tidy. I swear that orange one (I love the color!) is in better condition appearance-wise at least than 50% of these that I see on the road around here. Someone in Vermont is trying to figure out right now how they could get that shipped back to Burlington.
They’re just hibernating waiting for the command from Skynet to reawaken. They’re everywhere, on every continent, in every country, in every state, in every city, in every town, in every barn, all ready to go, in a great variety of colors none containing the letters G, R, A or Y and unseen by anyone. Except for us. Us, the defenders (if not always purchasers) of color, manual transmissions, cargo capacity, hood ornaments, and longevity – and the Mercedes-Benz 123 range be the only example of any car model ever made with all of those things in one. So yeah, they await and aren’t going anywhere until the command comes in the form of a seat belt interlock buzzing in a certain sequence with the red dash light flashing in tandem. They may never be needed though, humankind is busily exterminating itself without any help from Skynet…
A glorious find, nonetheless.
If these were in the states you could make several hundred bucks just selling the euro headlights and slim bumpers.
Also Ive seen 1 or 2 year old cars that have a nasty, trashed interior, the beige wagon interior is amazingly nice and fresh.
I too hate to see such undamaged cars just sitting .
Who knows, maybe this article will prompt the lucky (IMO) owner into up fixing or selling them .
A 230E is a really slow car, slower than my 240D .
A Sedan is a 300D
A Wagon is a 300TD .
A Sedan with turbo could be called a 300D -T .
-Nate
Something was wrong with the 230E you sampled. I considered a 230TE wagon years back, it was much nicer shape than my rough 300TD turbo wagon. I didn’t care for the way they revved at my customary 80-85 mph cruise. Either one, really. But I’d say that gas 2.3 would eat the diesel 3.0 turbo for lunch up to 50-60 mph.
Current old Benz are a 380SL with 2.47 diff, doesn’t seem awake until 80 mph, and a 500SE with 2.24. That one doesn’t come alive until go-to-jail speeds. 3000 rpm is just over 100 mph!
Thanx ~ that’s good to know .
Not too long ago I ran across an affordable 1985 230CE from Canada, it wasn’t rusty but I passed on it due to my incorrect knowledge .
-Nate