The Mercedes-Benz diesel sedan is synonymous with longevity and the era of overbuilt vehicles seemingly impervious to time and age. These days, there are few vehicles that are more synonymous with being a zombie apocalypse escape pod than a car like the one above that will supposedly still run even after the grid is blown to pieces. The seller reports that this handsome turbodiesel sedan has been in storage since 2012, and while it does have some cosmetic flaws, it’s said to still run well. Find it here on eBay with bids to $2,125 and no reserve.
The W126 sedan is one of the most recognizable Mercedes-Benz models, as the design spanned across both the gasoline-powered and turbodiesel lineups. “Stately” is the word that comes to mind, along with “timeless” when you consider the chiseled styling that has never really gone out of style. If you were to show up to work in a clean W126, I doubt anyone would even bat an eye, as the car still looks quite contemporary despite the last W126 rolling off the assembly line in the early 90s. This one sports a unique seafoam paint job that we don’t see all that often.
The blue leather interior causes some memories to come roaring back: my father owned a smoke silver 300E sedan that had this same navy blue trimming and it was one of my favorite details about the car. The use of blue leather was a characteristic seemingly reserved for 1980s-era European sedans, and it’s a styling trend I wish would come back into fashion. This 300SD is decent inside but sports some flaws, including a falling headliner, tired and peeling wood trim, damage to the leather on the driver’s seat, and the leather wrap on the steering wheel has worn away with use.
The seller cannot say with 100 percent certainty that the odometer reading is accurate due to it being exempt, but he does claim that there’s some evidence supporting the low number shown here. 84K is nothing on a Mercedes-Benz diesel of this era, so if the winning bidder brings this car home for less than $8,000, they could be sitting on a car that has barely been broken in. It may not be the most exciting driver around, but for a legitimate classic that will continue to provide many more good driving years in the future, it’s hard to beat.
Looks like with a little work this will make a nice driver. Even though I now drive a newer Mercedes I miss my W126. It wasn’t the perfect car as compared to something more modern however it was one of the nicest driving cars I have ever owned. I still keep an eye out for a nice W126 in my area. I have not owned a turbo diesel Mercedes but I’m sure I would enjoy the better fuel economy this model offers.
I drove a 1999 E300 turbo diesel for years. It got 38 miles to the gallon and was the nicest driving vehicle I ever owned. Also was the easiest to work on the main reason second and Mercedes vehicle‘s are so cheap because anyone who can’t work on them cannot afford service costs.
I had an ’84 300SD, loved that car! Not all that peppy and it smelled like a bus depot but it had character. Back then Mercedes made everything, even their own nuts and bolts. A very well built car that will run 500k miles and then some.
With solid Merc reliability, this will be a fair purchase, rock solid motorway cruiser.
A consummate Executive Saloon, I love it.
👍🤓
Lovely looking car. I remember when cars like this were driven. I’ve always been a fan of old-school Mercedes-Benz Diesels.
Having owned one of these with triple the mileage in the past, I can say these are fantastic highway cars that have great fuel mileage on the interstate and not terrible around town for their size. Mine served me flawlessly and I regret sending it down the road at all but 300,000 miles. GLWTS
DANG!
I can smell the french fry oil now.
Checked BF too late today. SOLD ONLY $3200!! And was close for a change.
At 85K miles its hardly even run in, just be thankful that its NOT painted in the German Taxi colour of “hearing aid beige” but with the proper maintenance it’ll still be able to drive across the world never mind the country!
Having owned a W126 myself one thing that gives me pause is the apparent discoloration of the instrument bezel. It could be just my computer, but it appears to have some kind of metallic like or spackled look. None that I’ve ever seen in person, including my own were anything other than a matte black. Based on how long these things run, I also struggle with seating surfaces showing this much wear at the stated odometer reading. I could be wrong, but just a couple thoughts.