Regarding European-market wagons, the Mercedes-Benz W123 is perhaps the best-recognized model line. There’s good reason for this, as their dependability is through the roof (for a European brand, at least), and it’s still a handsome design even today. That said, many of the versions you see for sale are equipped with long-lived but fairly pokey diesel engines, so finding one that is a European-spec model like this 1983 280TE with the more powerful gas engine, is the way to go, thanks to having a respectable boost in performance, not to mention the other benefits associated with gray market cars.
When you buy a European-market example, you get to enjoy the far prettier European-market bumpers, the glass H4 headlights, and other bonuses like a driver’s seat-mounted fire extinguisher. But in some cases, when a vehicle has never gone through the standard federalization process, there’s also the potential for weight savings as the safety reinforcement bars never get put inside the doors. All that aside, this W123 is a stunner simply for being in very nice condition, and the seller reports that it was previously a European delivery model that seemingly kept all of its desirable European-spec features when it was shipped stateside.
There’s likely an important distinction here: typically, a if a buyer chose the European delivery option, they would be buying a U.S. market ca that simply hadn’t been officially imported, allowing the owner to spend a few weeks touring Europe before heading home and waiting for their new purchase to arrive. This program was not intended to allow you to buy a car only intended for sale in Europe and ship it home like it was any other U.S. market model. It seems more likely to me that this car was owned by a service member or a diplomat and sent to the U.S. where it remained ever since. Who knows – the gray market industry was a bit of a wild west in the 1980s, so anything is possible. What matters most is how clean this W123 remains, and that its most desirable features have survived unscathed.
The seller notes that another key benefit to the European market origins of this wagon is that its familiar M110 engine makes a good deal more power than the U.S. version of the motor. In its current form, the engine makes a healthy 185 horsepower; when found in a standard U.S. model, you’re looking at 142 horsepower and even less if you reside in California (as this seller does). So, a healthy horsepower bump courtesy of a different camshaft and less restrictive emissions equipment. There’s a lot to like about this 280TE, so check out the full listing here on Craigslist.
This is definitely the wagon to own having the high compression with Bosch K-jet fuel injection. Runs circles around the US counterparts. I like everything about this car but the seller lists no price that I can see. So if you have to ask it’s probably out of your league. The only thing that would put the cherry on top would be a factory 5-speed manual.
CIS was the easiest (in my day at least) to diagnose and repair. A couple billion Audi/VW/Porsche/Volvo/Saab (and others no doubt) ran it. An occasional sneeze would blow the boot off of the AFM. Pop out the injectors and lift the plate to see the spray patterns or injector leaks. Could hardly have been any simpler. Ahh me those were the days…
A sunroof wouldn’t be bad either.
I worked for the local MB dealer from 72-82. Picture this, a telephone pole behind the drivers seat closer to the middle than the door. A salesmans son decided to take dad’s demo for a drive late one night as he couldn’t get permission when dad was awake. He lost control, hit a telephone pole at high speed and walked away. Everything from the door post forward was undamaged. Another friend bought one, totaled it and walked away with no injuries. Fantastic old cars, don’t know about the new ones.
more ‘power’, more HP (well, ‘yes’ on that 1, I imagine). Not to the tq guys – as I’d say the million mi motor (om617) diesel/5 cyl in the W123’s 300TD was “more powerful” AND ‘slower off the line’.
These came w/auto transmis only as manufactured for the US market alone so no glass headlght covers, etc…
I’ll go 300TD any day (i have the dwn payment AND purchase price…
Thanks for showin/write up Jeff!
Much prefer our US version 300TD as it has more charm to it. The rattle and sound of the diesel engine. The big bumpers which give it a more elegant but rugged appearance than the stunted look of the euro bumpers. Lastly, the amber fog lights give the US versions a personality. The euro lights make the car soulless.