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German Mafia: 1979 Mercedes 280E

Is there such a thing as the German mafia? I don’t know, but if there is, I’ll bet one of their members previously drove this period-modified 1979 Mercedes-Benz 280E. You get so used to seeing W123’s appearing as well-worn diesel saloons that this car makes you do a double-take once you realize there’s no soot on the tail pipe and it’s been lowered over its classic Bundt alloy wheels.  The AMG body kit is pretty sweet, too. Find it here on eBay for $7,950 or best offer.

This Benz is all about the modifications that were en vogue in the 70s and 80s: body kits, European lighting, and aftermarket speakers grafted directly onto the door panels. Sound systems in general were a big deal, and some of those original components fetch good money on eBay. Of course, now we’re aghast that someone would cut through the door panel to mount these speakers, but two decades’ ago it was the only way to listen to your tunes in high definition.

The fuel-injected 280E has a tasty powerplant, with the M110 inline six offering in the range of 182 b.h.p. and 173 lb. ft. of torque. This is one of the classic European motors Benz fans often seek out over the far more available diesel models found stateside. The absolute best spec is this engine paired with the optional manual transmission, but Mercedes’ smooth shifting automatic will do the job. The AMG front spoiler and side skirts fit the body perfectly – I love how you can just make out the curvature of the air dam ahead of the front wheels.

It appears the rear door panels were spared from modifications, and the classic MB Tex interior is holding up superbly front and back (though the driver’s side map pocket on the back of the seat is failing). The period-appropriate brown paint retains good shine on the outside and within the door jambs and pairs nicely with the butterscotch interior. There’s only 81,000 miles on the specimen, so there’s plenty of life left in it for chasing down cardsharks or collecting the profits from your local casino.

Comments

  1. Avatar Paul

    My neighbor growing up had one of these, in blue (his might have been a diesel, though, not sure). It was his pride and joy. Timeless beauty.

    Like 0
  2. Avatar Dave Wright

    The mafia would have driven an S body…….most likely a 6.9…….. nice looking car.

    Like 0
  3. Avatar Sheffieldcortinacentre

    Commonly referred to as Herr flicks staff car back in the 80s/90s over here, (due to the BBC tv wartime comedy “hello hello”)

    Like 0
  4. Avatar Keith

    If you’d simply said “Benz, lowered, with body kit” I’d have said ‘blech’ and moved on without a second thought. But this one surprised me – just enough of an attitude adjustment to earn a thumbs-up from this guy!

    Like 0
  5. Avatar MBNut

    This looks like a U.S. model 280E which had a few aftermarket parts added, such as the front spoiler and side skirts, European headlights, speakers on the front doors, and a wooden shifter. As a U.S. model, and especially a California car, this car may have as little as 137 hp. Forget the 182 hp of the Euro model.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Blyndgesser

      Making it pretty much redundant alongside the 120 hp turbo diesel.

      Like 0
  6. Avatar alan

    Euro spec motor it is not. As for the AMG reference maybe on the front spoiler but unlikely that the side skirts are. Leaving the stock wheels with the aero mods just does not work. Either ditch the wheels or the kit.

    Like 0
  7. Avatar KevinR

    Find a set of 5 spoke AMG wheels (or Ronal R-9s as an alternative) and the look of the car will be much better.

    The side skirts look like Zender components to me. However, it has been 30+ years since I was in the automotive aftermarket business…

    Like 0

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