Mercedes-Benz sold more diesel fired sedans than petrol in North America to the tune of 4 to 1. While the 300D turbo models put out a decent power curve, and proved the more popular car in power obsessed America, the 64bhp 240D models found their place as the “entry-level” Merc for the masses. Crank windows, M-B Tex interior, and even a passenger side mirror as an option, the 240D was built for mass transit Europa instead of plush luxury Americana. However, the requisite Merc-ness still pervaded the car from the real wood trim, to the solid thunk when closing the doors (that’s still there, 30 years later). In 1981, a Mercedes, no matter what price level was still a Mercedes, anything less would be unimaginable.
The 4-speed manual, 101ftlb torque combination results in a VW Beetle like 0-60 lurch of 20 seconds, or so. I stopped timing it when I got honked at and dropped the stopwatch. However, once at speed, the Merc will hold 80mph all day while returning a respectable 27mpg. But dismiss the paltry performance as that factoid misses the point. The ride still impresses as the fully independent suspension floats over anything, while still giving a remarkably poised handling setup should the road start twisting. The Merc will roll noticeably, yet retain composure and grip in all but the most severe avoidance maneuvers.
The most defining element of the W123 chassis remains its reliability. From the shores of Pensacola, to the deserts of Namibia, you will find 240D’s with mileage counts way past 400K, yet they are still on their original engine plying backroads and highways through boulevards and combat zones alike. You can’t kill them, and with over 1 million of the things built, parts are still plentiful and cheap, as well as some interchangeability with Benzes all the way from 1968 to 1994. Ask somebody to draw a Mercedes, and the first thing that will pop in their mind is this model of Merc. Probably the finest example of Stuttgart design, the 240D’s remain an icon the world over, if only because they etch a memory into passerbys, and they usually aren’t going very fast.
Little bits continually fell off of mine.
These cars are only as indestructible as their owner’s wallets. The automatic transmission banged around trying to find gears was always in the wrong one, the vacuum system needed constant love, and the air-conditioner made the car incapable of climbing hills.
Before it fell off.
155k two-owner miles at that point– It was sold to a mechanic.
Never again.
Sure did look nice sitting on the side of the road waiting for that free roadside assistance.
your image is of a w115 :)
I have a ’82 200D with only 410000km on the clock. It’s a really nice (and really, really slow, 0-100 @ 32 sec) car with decent fuel consumption, and it’s never had any electrical or mechanical problems. Sadly, it’s going to the scrapper in the spring due to rust.
I’d buy one new if they still made them.
That’s a W115. But anyway, these cars solidified Benz’s reputation as a world class car maker. The amount of them still running around is impressive, to say the least. Too bad they cannot build cars like this anymore. A shame.
I have a W114 (petrol) coupe. The way it irons out bumps is truly amazing. You hear the suspension crashing over potholes, but you feel nary a shake in the cabin. It feels like you are commanding a ship across gentle waves. But then you go around and corner and… It goes around the corner. Without drama. A lot of American barges could equal the ride, but not the ability to turn without pitching over onto their door handles.
The W123 (not the W115 pictured) was the most misunderstood car in LA during its reign. It was being snapped up by poseurs, because of its three-pointed star, and not because of its industrial taxi-cab qualities.
The buyers would endure its cowl-shaking rattle at idle, the perpetual stink and sooty exhaust, and most of all, its profound lack of power. I remember my sales manager taking four of us to a sales meeting at his golf club, up above the Mulholland Pass in LA; the damn thing literally just barely got us up the steep road, at a crawl. It’s funny what people will do for “prestige”. He would have been so much better served in a Buick. No wonder the W124 300E was such a hit!
Ah – thank you.
Ours has no problem going up hills, gets better mpg than most of the cars made these days and I couldn’t care less about the slowness.
Paul Niedermeyer: See, when I think Mercedes, the car that comes to mind is the W124 series, which to me was the epitome of what a Mercedes is. I’m sure the 240D’s are great, reliable cars, but I would be scared to drive one in modern traffic because they are so glacially slow, and I would get run over by some stupid vapid Cary Housewive on her iPhone driving her Durango.
I grew up in a 1983 Mercedes 240D, W123. Without a doubt, the best car I’ve ever experienced. It remaind in the family until the late 90’s, and even then it felt solid and as new. The unprecedented vault-like quality of that generation was sadly a last in the car business. Never again will we see such a solid quality on a mass produced car again. I’d say the W123 was one of Germanys finest ever.
I had a W123 for a few years — a 280E model that was quick on paper but never felt fast, and was exceedingly thirsty. It had that old, noisy in-line six left over from the sixties, and wasn’t at all pleasant to drive, despite the bulletproof-feeling build quality, absorbant suspension and OK handling. (A 230E I borrowed a few times was a lot nicer, even though it also suffered from slack recirculating-ball steering).
As so many people do, I have a W123 story to tell. One winter night, in the Odenwald hills, I got into a flash flood situation so bad that suddenly not only the road but also the valley I was in disappeared under a blanket of water. In a flash, I was off-road, having mistaken the course of the road. The Merc lurched, the engine went out, and I was about three feet under water. I got out of the car’s window; luckily, the water’s force wasn’t strong enough to stop me from wading to a nearbye house.
Next morning, the 280E was covered in mud up to the window sills. In a what-the-hell mood, I entered the car, put the key in the ignition, and gave it a try. The engine immediately sputtered to life. (It was a stinking mess from then on, but just didn’t want to die).
Apologies for the picture brain fart. I know a W123 when I sees it… I swear!
It wasn´t only the mirror on the passengers door that had to be paid for extra, at least here in Germany.
My 1980 240D didn´t have power steering… that was fun to drive. Didn´t have to pay for joining a gym though.
I had a 1975 W115 240D in highschool. I loved that car. I was white with green MB tex interior, just barely broken in with 180,000 miles. You could run all day at 80 mph and get close to 30 mpg. The only problem I ever had, was that the glow plugs took forever to heat up.
I remember having to hold that lever open for like 15-20 min in the winter before the engine would kick over.
Sorry gentlemen, but when I read “Merc”, I am thinking Mercury. I guess that is the side of the tracks I grew up on. And I cant sort out the naming “system” of Mercedes for the life of me. I get the classes, sorta, since they are fairly random. I’m just not enough of a fan-boy to try.
But, I gotta say, I’d love a big old 4 door Mercedes of some sort from the late ’60s. After the fins and before the big bumpers, please.
GBH….
I hear ya bud. Despite being in Oz for years, whenever anyone says “A Merc”, I still always think “Mercury”.
Martin Schwoerer:
Regarding you getting stuck in flood. And to anyone else. If you find yourself in that situation in flowing water, be sure to get out on the downstream side of the car. We had a woman die here in Santa Barbara County a while back when she tried to forge a river and stalled. She got out on the driver’s side, upstream. The force of the water pushed her against and under the car. She was trapped and drown. A friend of mine with the Sheriff’s S&R had to pull her body out.
Just something to remember, to save your life.
My friend just donated his diesel W123 to charity for a $1000 tax credit. :(
The W123 indeed had a reputation for being indestructible. But like many MB cars, that came with a price. Things will fall off the cars with alarming regularity, things stop working, that kind of event. Anyone who had one of these things needed a mechanic they could trust because regular visits were part of the game.
Again as with most of the older MB stuff, anything actually made by Daimler Benz was pretty good. The exception as the automatic transmission. The one in this generation of MB was awful. Rough, lurching and not durable. However, the motor, suspension, seats, etc, would last forever. The crap made by VDO was awful.
Driving a 240D reminded me of the movie “Driving Miss Daisy.” The thing was slower than the second coming and it kind of floated down the road like a regal old Grade Dame. But in that era, if I had the chance of driving a German built Rabbit diesel (note German built, the PA cars were terrible) or a 240D, the Rabbit would always get taken out.
My GF had an 83 240d stick in CA back in 2002. It was very well built and slow as all he11! Someone rear ended the 240 and pushed the back of the car in like an accordian but it still ran great! I thought about putting a Kompressor badge on the back for a little laugh but we ended up just junking it. :)
That was back when a car was a car! They sure don’t build them like that anymore.
we sold ours on ebay a little over a year ago. even with transmission issues, it only took 6 hours to sell and i was receiving emails for weeks afterwords from people hoping it was still available.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wooriegi/sets/72157594330076785/
I bought my 1983 240D 123 series Mercedes in 1995 from the second owner, with 64,000 miles on the clock. It is my all time favorite car. Now, 40,000 miles later, I like it even more. IMHO, the design is the ultimate automotive design. My wife’s 2006 E class is faster, but my 240D will be around long after the 2006 is in the junk yard. Link to pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/Ninobur/240D?feat=directlink
Hello All. I have had many W123 240Ds and 300Ds for over 2o years. To bad I was not old enough to purchase one new when they first came out. They’re excellent automobiles and always will be.
Those who are complaining on this post don’t really know what they’re complaining about. Its seems to be over their wasted dollar on a status they were trying to achieve in society by purchasing one of these fine automobiles and never taking care of it. Too bad there are many in our society who are the neuvo reach, lazy, wealthy people who don’t appreciate much of anything. I’ve seen it in front of my own eyes as some family members have been that way.
All of my W123s ran perfect always, and got myself and my friends there safely, and with a lot of character and comfort, style and design. I still have one of my favorite 240Ds and it only has 164K miles on it now and it runs perfect and sounds and looks great. I’ve taken care of it well and it’s lasted well. My others I have sold to friends and they still have all of them! The W123 was meant to run for hundreds of thousands of miles and to last the test of time. It has a perfect timeless design with lots of character along with a finely engineered heart. It has my vote along with many of my friends.
I have had no troubles on the freeway for speed nor around town from new or to current. I have no running troubles. It’s called change the oil. Get the transmissions serviced. Put Diesel additive into the fuel tank when you fill up. Just take care of the mechanical side of it as scheduled. It’s just like a living plant. With water, it will survive, with mulch and food it will last for years to come.
I would have to say kudos to the author for commenting on such a fine piece of “artwork” that’s concept, design and completion far surpasses that of most cars on the road today.
Cheers
My dad had one of those(1981) and then my sister drove it for awhile. I thought it was an absolutely dreadful car in pretty much every aspect. It was stressful to ride in as no matter what was behind you they were always on your butt as it struggled to accelerate away from a stoplight. Sitting next to my ’81 Olds Cutlass Supreme in the driveway I though it looked absolutely pathetic. Now there’s a car I wish I still had!