Mercedes-Benz Worldwide

Menu
  • News
  • A-Class
  • B-Class
  • C-Class
  • E-Class
  • S-Class
  • G-Class
  • V-Class
  • X-Class
  • T-Class
  • CLA
  • CLE
  • CLS
  • CLK
  • GLA
  • GLB
  • GLC
  • GLE
  • GLS
  • SL
  • SLC
  • Citan
  • Sprinter
  • AMG GT
  • Maybach
  • EQ
  • Unimog
  • Trucks
  • F1
  • Concept Car

Mercedes-Benz 280 E In Colorado Junkyard Gem

Mercedes-Benz | Mercedes-AMG 14/07/2023 1 Comment
Mercedes-Benz | Mercedes-AMG
Click to rate this post
[Total: 1 Average: 5]

The most legendary of all the Mercedes-Benz E-Class ancestors—and perhaps of all Mercedes-Benzes, period—is the W123, which was sold in the United States from the 1977 through 1985 model years. The W123 was rugged yet comfortable, and the majority sold here had diesel power. Today’s Junkyard Gem is a harder-to-find gasoline-burner, found in a Colorado car graveyard a couple of years back.
 

In 1979, American car shoppers had vivid memories of the 1973 OPEC oil embargo and were experiencing gasoline rationing and yet more skyrocketing of fuel prices in the wake of the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Diesel fuel was cheaper and easier to obtain than gasoline during that period, and so most W123s sold here up to that point were oil-burners, either terrifyingly slow 240s with four cylinders or annoyingly slow 300s with five cylinders. Starting in the 1981 model year, the turbocharged diesel out of the proto-S-Class W126 arrived in US-market W123s, but 1979 American W123 buyers had to choose between diesel slowness or gasoline speediness with risk of gas lines.
 
The buyer of this car took the latter choice, which probably seemed wise when gasoline prices crashed in the middle 1980s. This is a 2.8-liter (actually 2.746-liter, but we’ll give it credit for an extra five cubic centimeters and round up) straight-six, rated at 142 horsepower and 149 pound-feet. The 240D had 62 horsepower and the 300D/300CD/300TD had 77 horsepower that year.
 
Starting in the 1981 model year, all new US-market W123s were diesel-only.
 

If you wanted an automatic in your US-market 280E in 1979, too bad! The only transmission available was a four-speed automatic. In fact, the only new Mercedes-Benz with three pedals available at American dealerships in 1979 was the 240D with a four-on-the-floor.
 
The interior in this car is very nice for a 42-year-old car in Colorado’s harsh climate.
 
Part of that is the indestructible MB-Tex fake leather on the seats. If there’s any fabric used in motor vehicles that can outlast this stuff, I haven’t heard of it.
 

Just over 115,000 miles on the odometer, which is laughably low by W123 standards.
 
The MSRP for this car was $20,996, or about $93,256 in 2023 dollars. Meanwhile, a new 1979 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham, which was bigger, more powerful and generally more opulent, cost just $14,102 ($62,635 now); a 1979 Toyota Cressida Luxury Edition listed at a mere $8,879 ($39,437 today). If you wanted Mercedes-Benz build quality and prestige back then, you had to pay serious money for it.
 
Mercedes-Benz pushed hard for diesel wagon sales in the United States in 1979, so that’s the commercial we’ll watch.

Share this ↓

Related posts :

  1. Official ! Mercedes-Benz E-Class Prototype 2020 First Test Drive
  2. Mercedes-Benz 300 CE Hammer C124 Added A Modern Touch
  3. Mercedes-Benz 240 D Looks Factory Fresh For Sale
  4. Mercedes-AMG E 63 S Final Edition The Beginning Of The End
  5. The New Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2023 Before You’re Supposed To See It
  6. Mercedes Benz 500 E W124 OffRoad Hot Wheels Custom
  7. 2023 Mercedes-Benz E-Class New Model First Look
  8. Mercedes-Benz E 55 AMG W211 Stage 1 On Autobahn
  9. Mercedes-Benz 300 TD In California Junkyard
  10. 2022 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Review
  11. 2023 Mercedes-Benz E-Class You Need To Know
  12. 2020 Mercedes-Benz E-Class All Terrain Teaser Wants You To Stay Tuned
  13. Mercedes-Benz E 300 de 2021 Review & Test Drive
  14. Review New Mercedes-Benz E-Class Steering Wheel
  15. Mercedes-Benz 300 TE W124 The Perfection Wagon
  16. Mercedes-Benz EQE Will Be Smaller Than The E-Class
  17. Mercedes-Benz 500 E The Porsche Of Mercedes
  18. W214 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Plug-In Hybrid Relocated Charging Port
  19. Mercedes E-Class Sedan Can No Longer Be Ordered
  20. Mercedes-Benz 300 D Hot Wheels Legends Tour Finalist
Prev Article
Next Article

One Response

  1. Adjxbd

    protonix 40mg sale lisinopril order pyridium without prescription

    26/09/2023

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Google Translate

Recent Posts

  • 2024 Mercedes-AMG E 53 Wagon PHEV Is A Hybrid In Every Sense
  • 2024 Mercedes-AMG G 63 Special Version Gets Transformed Via CGI
  • Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S 4-Door Mariani With Mindblowing 725-HP
  • Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe W111 The Timeless Beauty
  • Mercedes C-Class W205 Which Version Is More Reliable?
  • 2024 Mercedes E-Class Available In Nine Versions From 61,999 Euro
  • Sauber-Mercedes C9 Accelerations Twin-Turbo V8 Sound
  • Mercedes-Benz Vision HFC Design Projects Fuel Cell Muscle Car Illusions
  • 2024 Mercedes EQC Might Not Be Badged As An EQ Anymore
  • Mercedes-AMG G 63 MANSORY Grande Entrée Up To 1,000 Nm
  • 2024 Mercedes G-Class Facelift Tremendous Reduction In Fuel Consumption
  • Mercedes-Benz 280 S From King Of Sweden Up For Sale
  • Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Ultimate Luxury Stealth Camper Van Conversion
  • Mercedes-AMG CLE 63 Coupe Silently Cruising In Traffic
  • 2024 Mercedes-Benz EQE 350 SUV Interior Review
  • 2024 Mercedes CLA Will Come With A Choice Of Electric Or Combustion Powertrains
  • 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE Coupe E With The Soul Of C
  • Mercedes-AMG SL 65 Black Series Is Peak AMG Madness
  • 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLE SUV Still A Star Contender
  • 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLS SUV Style & Supersized

Categories

  • A-Class
  • AMG GT
  • B-Class
  • C-Class
  • Citan
  • CLA
  • CLE
  • CLK
  • CLS
  • Concept Car
  • E-Class
  • EQ
  • F1
  • G-Class
  • GLA
  • GLB
  • GLC
  • GLE
  • GLS
  • Maybach
  • News
  • S-Class
  • SL
  • SLC
  • Sprinter
  • T-Class
  • Trucks
  • Unimog
  • V-Class
  • X-Class

Mercedes-Benz Worldwide

Copyright © 2023 Mercedes-Benz Worldwide