Mercedes’ iconic W123-series of sedans and wagons have legendary reputations for longevity, helped by the existence of thousands of cars with impressive odometer readings that continue to carry passengers and their cargo today. They are also loved for their durability and relative simplicity, especially compared to modern Mercedes offerings. Find this exceedingly low mileage example here on eBay with no reserve and bidding over $5K.
This is such a great 1970s color, accented by the slimmer European-market bumpers. There are some details present that make me believe this is a gray-market car, such as the crank windows, manual A/C controls, and warning triangle in the trunk. The lighting is standard U.S.-spec assemblies, but those pretty glass H4 headlights are often swapped out at the port when a car is federalized.
The seller also mentions “rear sunshades” as standard equipment, which is another tell-tale sign of a European-market car (those features weren’t available for U.S. customers.) The dash is amazingly uncracked, and while the carpets are tired in places, this 300D is, overall, in excellent condition – as it should be for such low mileage.
Despite the low mileage, there are some details that let the car down. The front valence panel is bent and has surface rust popping up in places. The rear bumper appears to have a kink in it as well, so there’s some questions as to why the details fall short on this claimed low-mileage example. Here’s the warning triangle in the trunk, a feature considered standard equipment on European-market cars. An interesting car for sure, and a potential bargain at no reserve.
I don’t believe the mileage. Too many over 100k tell tale signs.
These have a 6 digit odometer, so unless it has 1,024,000 miles, it’s accurate.
Not if it’s metric speedometer was replaced by a mlles speedo!
The shifter is worn smooth. Its had a new miles odometer installed on the import as a grey market car. There are NO factory service records. Where is the original Kilometer odometer? The grill shows lots of driving wear. Any German in Rural GERMANY would order this color and be dressed in wool, never sweating or fiction wear on the interior . German dressing up until the time this car was exported, LIKELY 5-7 years after it was NEW (1979) at the height of the grey market BOOM. Looking at the condition, the wear undercarriage, etc etc, this is a car with over 100’000 miles. OMHO it’s not a 24’000 mile car. What do you have to prove and how? Easy ! pull the wheels, leak down test, and drop the gearbox filter to start and experience. All defeating time….. car is a $2000 car.
No it is worth more than $2K. I agree you can’t trust the mileage. If it was a grey market car and federalized it would have had the odometer swapped and there would be an import and federalization notice on who imported it on the door jam of the drivers door. The tear on the carpet on the driver side does not say 24k mile car.
I had two 80s grey market imports that were federalized.
And the model year is??
Nice car!!! Not too fussy about the snotty green color but it’s still OK. These were nice cars, albeit not too powerful. To work on, the 5 cyl. units were a lot easier than the later six (Only real problems were with the customers coming into the shop and being rather indignant to see their prized car parked beside a Ford Powerstroke, or a farmer’s feedlot tractor. I might add that we got some flak from the owner of a Land Cruiser(!!?!) too). Some problems with the timing sprocket key in the crankshaft. We had a few in our shop that had everything come loose and the sprocket was allowed to rotate back and forth. Fortunately we were able to get the keyway in the crankshaft reclaimed…
Really nice car. In my opinion, from what I can see in the pictures, it is in fact a low mile car. Remember it’s almost 40 years old and unless a car is stored in a jar there is bound to be some signs of aging you wouldn’t see on a two year old car with comparable miles. I’ve looked at low mile cars that showed signs that would make one think the miles are higher when in fact the owner had a very short daily commute. Getting in, starting and driving two miles has roughly the same wear effects on items the driver comes in contact with as a much longer drive. That would likely explain the wear seen on this car verses the miles. Having said that, I’ve purchased several low mile vehicles, and it takes a fair amout to get them back in service. Still worth it though. Who knows what the history is. Judge this car on face value…it’s in great condition. If this car was in my back yard, I’d be there with a pocket full of Ben Franklins :-)
With the reputation of these W-123s I would trust this over a newer model.These cars have a good strong reputation and I wouldn’t mind having the coupe version.Some called these”Million-milers” and maybe with good reason.
I have 2 coupes, a 6 cylinder gas and a diesel …love them.
I don’t believe the mileage either – even if there is a speedometer showing 24,000 if this is a gray market car the original speedo was metric so who knows what the real story is.
At the risk of appearing incredibly, ignorant, naive, etc., what is a “gray market” car??
At a point in the 1980s generally, European cars were much cheaper than the ones “officially” imported, so many people would buy a European version, then convert it to comply with US Regs so it could be legally imported. Even converted to US regs there were often quite a few differences. Typically the Euro version cars were much more basic, to the point of often having wind-up manual windows, manual locks, fabric interiors, either basic AC or no AC whereas the US version might have had automatic climate control, etc. Mechanical differences arose as sometimes completely different engines were used – you could get a Mercedes SL with a six cylinder engine and manual transmission whereas all the official imports have V8s and automatics. Things like bumpers and lights had to be changed to pass the inspection, but often the better looking Euro parts were put right back on afterwards.
If that Avocado Green was on your kitchen appliances, you’d be remodeling in a heartbeat. Unless you have a thing for shag carpet, too.
CARB not mentioned – a 49 stater for sure
Aren’t ol’ dizzles exempt in The People’s Republic of California??
Yes off course…….there is no problem bringing a 49 state car into California. At one time, they charged a 300.00 impact fee but that was ruled unconstitutional. Many people that paid it are still waiting for there court ordered refund. And in any event, it is covered by the 25 year rule. A lot of people have no idea what they are talking about…..just like to make noise. I am curious about the one owner statement. It seems like a euro spec car would have at least 2 or more unless purchased by some embassy person (I have bought those too) that could buy the euro car here and retired in the states retaining it. My Government surplus vehicles show me as the orignal owner because the Fed doesn’t pass on registrations. I rarely comment about mileage claims……too many variables. My 235 lb frame will break down seats quicker than a 135 lb woman and steering wheel ware varies greatly depending on if you wear a ring and how you grip the wheel. A car driven on the highway rarely gets the brakes applied if properly driven……just too many variables. I had a 1976 in this same color, not my first choice, Great cars in any event, also the air deflector on the sunroof is another dead giveaway that it spent time in Europe, all it needs to complete the picture is sheepskin seat covers.
I’m afraid you don’t understand the FEDERAL 25 year rule, it applies only to getting a car into the US. The car still has to comply with whatever the applicable state regs are, in this case we’re discussing California. In order to register it in California, it must comply with California, not Federal smog regulations. I have bought numerous Citroen and Austin Mini imports over 25 years old but still impossible to register in California because I was living in a state without the regulations California has, after the owner gave up and realized their new toy could never be legal in California.
You don’t understand the California law…….it only requires a car comply to the smog standard it was manufactured to. If you are simply changing the registration from one state to another all this car will require is a vin verification as it is smog exempt in California. I have imported over a dozen cars from overseas and licenced hundreds in California. If the DMV is suspicious, they might make you go through an inspection to confirm it is a diesel. Many diesel trucks had gas engines installed illegally trying to make an exempt vehicle having a diesel title.
That may apply to a diesel (see my earlier comment) but a Euro version 1979 Citroen 2CV registered in Arizona or Oregon cannot be legally registered in California. Same thing with a UK version Mini or JDM Honda or whatever if they were built in a year that is subject to California smog requirements yet were built without the required smog parts even though they may be registered elsewhere. Florida and Alabama are known as two states notoriously easy to title and register cars in – I know a guy who claims to have gotten a Florida automotive title to his Maytag washing machine! But California won’t accept it, (neither will Oregon accept non-smog complying cars in the big metro areas subject to DEQ inspections.) Arizona requires all 1966 and newer cars to pass a smog inspection, but there’s an easy “work around” for specialty, or collector cars.
Arizona (only certain counties) is 67 and newer.
If this were only a manual transmission (& a different color).
Stately old beast. One of the last of the run-forever Benz’ Perfect car for Keith Richards to pot around in when we’re all dead and long gone
My 77, pretty much bullet proof simple cars. Mine’s a 230 gas 4 speed, Euro car.
Yes if a Euro car it would have had the speedometer replaced from Kilometers to MPH .
Per the VIn it was ordered in DARMSTADT BRANCH and has FABRIC – PALOMINO (004) and CALEDONIA GREEN (867U).
If it was imported and federalized it would have some paperwork inside the door jam. I have owned some real low mileage cars from this era and I can forgive almost all the wear I see on it except for the carpet under the pedals.
That being said really this car is not any more valuable than one with 75k miles and in good shape and one with 75k miles and in good shape is not worth that much more than one with 140k miles and in good shape.
Lovely looking car. I’ve always loved the Mercedes-Benz W123D.
I’ve had an opportunity to examine several gray market cars that were Federalized. The butchery unleashed on the ones I saw was depressing. Headlight leveling systems yanked out, etc. Adding the side impact protection beams to the doors can be done nicely or not.
From what I understand the US dealers used their influence to get legislation slamming the door on gray market cars around 1987.
Why would US dealers want to slam the door on “gray market cars”?
Business competition – who would buy a $50,000 Mercedes from a US dealer when they could get one for say under $30,000 from Europe. A gray market car presents service problems for a US Dealer as well since their techs wouldn’t have the training nor would they always be able to get parts.
I reckon that could be a problem. Particularly when it comes to service the car.
Servicing grey market Mercedes is rarely a problem. They are well supported by MBUSA. these were made with a manual trans option in Europe and improves the car greatly. That is what took me to look at the 300 that turned out to be a 240 in California, it was advertised with a manual trans.
Mercedes Benz Lobbied in Washington to close the door on a little used rule that let 5 year old cars into the USA without emissions. Lindy Boggs, congresswoman, lobbied to make it a crime to import such cars, as her son was VP of Mercedes N.A. She won. Grey market stopped in 1987, and values of these cars dropped effecting the entire market. Such a car in 1985 was all of $3000 in rural Germany.
I’m all for clean air emissions if they’re realistic.
One year I was working in Arizona when the registration came due on my 300TD. I took my California title to the DMV and was surprised to learn that AZ required a smog test…….something California never had done……so, unlike California, the test system was actually well run and efficient. The stations were government run (one of the rare instances of a well run government operation) I took my place in line and it wasn’t long until we were on the dyno following the instructions. I talked to the technician about the test as Diesels don’t really make the kind of pollutants as a gas engine and even running dirty will pass any kind of nitrous check. He said the standards for Diesels were soo loose that he had never had one fail. The visible smoke from a diesel is most often simple soot that falls harmlessly to the ground. Like most laws, the devil is in the definition……..and public perception…….seldom in science or fact.
My mom had a 1981 Mercedes 300D which she bought used from an authorized new car dealer. My dad had a new 1985 300D with the turbo diesel engine. They kept them for the rest of their lives. The diesels required fresh car batteries to start in the Ohio cold and neither accelerated like an American V-8 but the cars ran forever.
any ‘one two three’ is great (’76 – ’85) 2.5 million built. I perfer the 300TD (5 cyl diesel) which appeared in Sept of ’81 (the 3L OM617 A td 5) till the last 63 built in ’86. For this, the T does not stand for turbo (altho it is) it stands for station wagon. 200K of those made. It wuz imported w/auto trans only. Lotta guys bring to the veg oil converter near us.
I would not get w/o the turbo (as above indicated by posters), I would seek a wagon, this is the million mile motor (I assume but saw no reference to # cyl or diesel) if 300TD. If european it may B 6 cyl diesel?
Still learnin on these (all MBs), even tho – want an ol 300TD (or ’83/6 LTD/Marquis fox-bodued wagon). What can U add…
i had a 300TD wagon in this same color combo inside and outside. I bought it with 300K miles on it and put another hundred thousand on it before I sold it. Its the one wagon that I wish I kept just for the color combo
OK Look at the pictures of the rear. The License plate area is the original bright color and the rest of the body is faded. Way to dirty for 24K miles of use. Im with everyone with the Odometer / Speedometer change out. Buyer beware!!!
I work for the dealer that sold this car at auction to the dealer that has it posted for sale on ebay. I tried my hand at listing it for my boss on craigslist but had a lot of lowball offers. This is a grey market car, my boss got it from a 99 year old military veteran back in 2015 who was still driving it at the time. The odo was most likely converted over when the car was brought over. We sold it at auction as TMU or True Mileage Unknown just to do the right thing and be safe with how we represented it. The headlamps were probably converted as well and I got a lot of questions about that during the time I had it listed for sale. I’m just glad this dealer will be getting more than what we had it listed for when we had it. Hope it goes to someone who will love it as much as the previous owner we got it from did.