Mercedes-Benz has been known for many things over the years, the most obvious of which is building luxury cars. It’s also been celebrated for its durable diesel powerplants. Those aspects of the Mercedes story are well-documented, but the company has also built high-end limousines and long-wheelbase models for its ultra-high-end clientele, and this W123 chassis 300D is a rare sight here in the states. While we have gotten some exposure in recent years to Mercedes long wheelbase creations like the Maybach, this vintage offering is a European market model that was imported to the U.S. Find it here on craigslist with just over 110,000 miles for $18,000.
In this country, we have an expectation that limousines are going to be exceptionally luxurious. Leather, TVs, liquor cabinets, mirrored ceilings, dividers, crystal balls – it’s sort of obnoxious, to be honest. Now, not all limos are like that, but there’s an expectation of sorts that if you’re taking one, it’s going to have some over-the-top features. The vintage European limousine market seemed much different, with the models used as the basis for conversion by and large unaltered from the factory model aside from the longer wheelbase.
That’s certainly the case here, with the classic Mercedes velour interior just like a standard wheelbase W123, with the exception of there being a third row of seats added between the back seat and the front buckets. While I can’t claim to know how it was used overseas, this almost seems more like a taxicab with more room for passengers than an “upgraded” livery experience for heads-of-state and other dignitaries. The seller reports that the Mercedes did come over as a true Euro-spec car with the glass H4 headlights and smaller bumpers; however, those were swapped out as part of federalization procedures, but it got to keep its cloth upholstery, which was another hallmark of a gray market car.
The seller is not overstating things when he describes just how clean this 300D is inside and out. This limousine was legally imported in 1984, so it has been a U.S. resident for some time. I would love to know the story behind who imported it and why, as it’s an unusual model to import without having a need for a limo-style body. The blue plastics, door panels, and carpets are all just as well preserved as the seating surfaces and the seller reports that it runs and drives quite well. The Mercedes is free from excessive electronics and convenience features, which should make it a cheap car to run despite its relative obscurity.
That center seat has got to go.
It folds flat against front seats (unless it’s broken) for what it’s worth. Usual cracks in dash – not sure it’s actually a Pullman, looks Iike standard v123 – slug slow, 18k is pushing a thin market.
Can’t. At least, you can remove the seats but there is a center box beam that traverses the chassis from one side to the other just aft of the “B” pillar for structural integrity. The seats will come out but then you’ve got this huge “footrest” with the seat mounting ears sticking up out of the carpet.
I know, I’ve owned these.
But the exterior really looks good – the White paint
works well on this one.Looks really clean.
If it was made in-house it would be a V123 car. Perhaps the VIN number would indicate like other Mercedes of the era. I like the white with blue velour. Classic Benz. What would really make this special would be a 3 pedal 5-speed turbo diesel or a 5-speed M110 CIS gasser.
This is by no means a “limousine” and never was – the 123 LWB chassis was built to serve the taxi industry, and nothing more. These were very common in Europe and the Middle East with exactly the same livery – velour was standard. I know because I’ve owned them. As this is a diesel model it will have a tough time getting out of it’s own way. The gas versions weren’t much better. They weren’t built for speed, they were built for running people around in town.
It’s surprising to see velour was even offered on the V123, I was expecting MB-Tex since the main point of these wasn’t to be luxurious but to be 8-passenger airport taxis.
Let’s clear a few things up here:
1.) This is not a “Pullman”, nor will it ever be. It’s a very standard, run of the mill long wheelbase W123.
2.) Likewise, it is not a “limousine”. Again, it’s a long wheelbase sedan, nothing more.
3.) These were produced in massive numbers for taxi service in the Middle East and Europe, both in gas and diesel versions. The velour was standard upholstery, as it was in many ROW countries.
4.) The center jump seats can be removed, but they’re mounted to a box beam that goes across the body just behind the “B” pillar to strengthen it. The seats, which are held on with safety nuts, can be removed but the mounting ears and beam will still be there. Try to remove it and you’ll have a Mercedes “taco” on your hands. It also impedes the front seats from moving all the way to the back of the seat track, making it uncomfortable for tall drivers and front seat passengers.
I’ve owned these cars, and while they are attention-getting and often mis-identified by the general public as “limousines”, they’re really nothing more than a taxi. They’re also grossly underpowered, although later models with the M123 (gas) and M617 NA (diesel) don’t do too badly on the highway. They weren’t designed for high speed travel – they were designed to be tooling around picking up fares in the city.
Nice example. Looks very clean. I would check it carefully for rust, as the rear doors had a tendency to rust at the bottoms if the drains aren’t kept clean.
The standard 300D is tremendously slow to accelerate. I imagine this heavier version is glacially so.
Other than the $5+/gal filling the tank, a perfect and classy way to drag stuff home from the vintage radio swap meets I’ve often attended.
Awesome looking car. I’d love to drive a car like this, Diesel and all. I’ve always loved this generation Mercedes-Benz car.
S18k for a $4-6000 car. The seller is smoking craaaaaack.
Calling it slug slow is being optimistic. In todays traffic its best use is in town where the speed limit doesn’t exceed 45 mph.
I have owned several of these cars over the years. One of the scariest things to do in it is to get on the Merritt Parkway from a dead stop at rush hour.
Having lived in central Germany, I’ve seen these all over the place. When equipped with vinyl interior it would have likely been a taxicab. Velour variants were often used as business cars, funeral home “family” car, or whenever a situation called for a sedan [not van] for more than 5 people.
And I think referring to it’s speed as “slug-like” is being generous! An older type 2 VW van might be quicker in acceleration.
Almost forgot;
About 30 years ago I was contacted by an insurance company to investigate and appraise a Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman limousine that had been in a fire, and considered a total loss.
On arrival at the police impound lot I found a 300D 7-passenger taxicab, with fake “600 Pullman” emblems on the trunk lid. The car’s owner claimed it was an actual 600 LWB limousine worth in excess of $100,000. I appraised it at $3,500 prior to the fire. And yes, it really did have a “Pullman” emblem on the trunk lid. Mercedes-Benz never used that word as an emblem!
About a year later I was called to testify in the owner’s fraud trial!
About the only thing I would change would be to add some tinting. Otherwise, it is a beautiful car. If you want a fast get up and go vehicle, get you one. This would be a sweet ride. You have to respect the fact that it is a old technology engine, and drive it accordingly.
wcshook,
Yes, I kinda agree, however I’ve driven lots of LWB cars and have owned many vintage limousines. The 300D in sedan form is just slow, to the point of frustration. There are fast, very fast, and insanely fast cars, just as there are slow, very slow, and ‘too damn slow’ as well.
A 300D automatic 8 passenger sedan that’s fully loaded is soooo damn slow that I once wondered if the engine had stopped running. I prefer a vehicle that when the gas pedal is pushed down hard, at least the car begins to speed up noticeably!
This is a much better limo by far. Hahahaha