Friday 3rd September 2010

SOTW: Mercedes-Benz 280E

Shed gets excited about a solidly built German (and not for the first time)

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Encouraged by our fleeting encounter with Merc's E63, this week's Shed pays homage to its grand-daddy, the W123. A Mercedes from the 'Old Skool'.

Dragging a wheezing old duffer out to face its grandson may seem cruel, but what the W123 lacks in horsepower (who says 'speed matters?') and glitzy accessories, it more than makes up for in honest-to-goodness charm.

This example lumbers in suitably equipped with the pre-requisites of auto 'box, six-cylinder engine, and the luxuries of electric windows and a sunroof. What the advert fails to mention is build quality that puts more modern cars to shame - thank eight years of development for this.

Outside it resembles the S-Class (or SE) of the era, with simplistic lines and nothing more pretentious than optional metallic paint and a three-pointed star on its bonnet. For your peace of mind, our SOTW comes complete with new front wings, driver's door and rear wheelarches and, while it may look plain by modern standards, 16 years' worth of MOTs bear testament to the car's longevity.

Inside, it's business as it used to be done, with plentiful timber, a pleasingly simple dash and few unnecessary embellishments.

Equipped with a 2746cc dohc six, producing 185bhp and 181Ib ft of torque, the W123 280 is (or at least was) capable of wafting its occupants to 60mph in 9.5secs and on to 118mph, accompanied by seamless changes from the four-speed box. Not bad for a car developed 30 years ago and weighing almost two tons, and certainly acceptable today.

So if you're after a beast which looks equally at home ferrying the family round leafy suburbs as it does gallivanting across the deserts of North Africa (where the diesel derivative is still said to account for half the cars on the road), this example of a 'proper Merc' with its full year's MOT, comprehensive history and relatively low mileage (107,000 if you're trusting) could be a steal. If only I had somewhere to put it...

The advert reads:

1984 Mercedes 280 E W123 For Sale

4 Door saloon good condition, new front wings new drivers door,and rear wheal arches.electric windows,and sun roof. Full MOT and 6 months tax. Owned the car 10 years lots of history MOT BACK TO 1994

Make Mercedes Model 280 E W123 Price £995 ono (approx. €1,198 or $1,562) Year 1984 Category Saloons / Estates Mileage 107000 Miles Colour Green Transmission Automatic LHD / RHD RHD Convertible No Location Lincoln, Lincolnshire, UK Private / Trade Private

[louismchuge]

uber cool but thats dangerously cheap for one of them!

[Twincam16]

If it's in as good a condition as suggested that's an absolute steal.

In dark colours they look cool too, less 'Mombasa Airstrip Taxi', more 'The KGB are monitoring your house'.

[Garlick]

I rather fancy that.

[pat_y]

Garlick said:

I rather fancy that.

You really need to get this Mercedes thing out of your system.

[E21_Ross]

back when mercs where built properly, unlike today, and particularly about 10 years ago.

lovely car, but, as well built as it may be, 26 years old you are still going to get problems such as rubber hoses perishing etc. nice little (or, rather, big) waft car though

[dudley71]

Didn't they come with 30-year anti-perforation rust warranties?

[Garlick]

pat_y said:

Garlick said:

I rather fancy that.

You really need to get this Mercedes thing out of your system.

Nah, another will follow the E220 if I ever get rid, and I'd love the replacement to be a 123.

[mig25_foxbat2003]

I want this. I get paid on Monday. Someone else is paying for my fuel during the week.

This is a dangerous, dangerous combination...

Anyone know if these are single-figure MPG specialists?

[Uhura fighter]

Garlick said:

I rather fancy that.

Me too.

[Uhura fighter]

mig25_foxbat2003 said:

I want this. I get paid on Monday. Someone else is paying for my fuel during the week.

This is a dangerous, dangerous combination...

Anyone know if these are single-figure MPG specialists?

20-25 on a run - I am not helping am I

[thehardman07]

I often hear phrases like 'back when mercedes built their cars properly' etc.

So what is the general consensus for the last 'proper merc' made?

[Negative Creep]

I love these old Mercs, must own one sometime soon. I know their reputation precedes them, but if they do break are they easy to work on and are parts reasonable prices?

[Twincam16]

thehardman07 said:

I often hear phrases like 'back when mercedes built their cars properly' etc.

So what is the general consensus for the last 'proper merc' made?

W124.

[amirzed]

my Dad and his friend both had W124's at the same time, no joke I could recognise the sound of the door shutting on them cars. I particularly remember whenever his mate used to come round and park in the drive I always used to think my Dad had just rolled in from the shutting sound!

I sold his mate's W124 for him 2 years ago, 1988 280E, 190k on the clock for £700 on ebay and the guy that bought it couldn't believe that everything still worked perfectly.

Pure class them cars.

[sumpoil]

..... the last 'solidly built german' i got excited about .....

[Chris71]

Uhura fighter said:

Garlick said:

I rather fancy that.

Me too.

+1

Although they're not all lethargic; a friend's father has a larger engined Merc saloon of that sort of era (can't remember which one exactly) and it shifts like the proverbial. Huge amounts of torque for very rapid wafting.

[Martin 480 Turbo]

Is that a cruel joke?

Can't be that W123 barges are not fetching more on your island.
With all these amenities, sought after color combo and history
records this would cost like 6.000€ on the continent.

(with proper steering of course)

Boss has another 280E white, low spec. in the garage. How long
can a steering swap take?

Martin 480 Turbo

[Rusty-C]

thehardman07 said:

I often hear phrases like 'back when mercedes built their cars properly' etc.

So what is the general consensus for the last 'proper merc' made?

Er, it was the W123, of course

[Steamer]

Brilliant!

I'd love to run one of these for a bit just to see how tuff they really are.

Isnt it these that you see on the news in places where bombs go off all the time? And also James May's choice for the African (or somewhere very hot) adventure episode?

[Rusty-C]

The Crack Fox said:

I like it, but a Coupe would have been a much cooler SOTW..

For a grand? Who am I, Quenton Wilson? Nope.