Greetings!
Up for auction, beautiful 1983 Mercedes 300CD w123 2-door coupe. This is an excellent driver-quality car, nd has 100% original paint and interior. This car has always been garaged and dealer maintained. It is not a restored car. This Mercedes won't be turned away from any shows, nd wows people with its condition and classic looks. This particular car has had a loving single-ownership* history, nd it shows.
Bought new from the Stephenson Motor Company (now Park Place Motors) in Dallas in 1983 by a lawyer, his car still has its original bill of sale and associated paperwork. The car was owned by the lawyer, lways garaged, ntil October of this year, hen I bought it and drove it to Denver (600 miles). All service was done at Park Place Motors throughout the car's life, nd the documentation comes with the car. It was last serviced in 1998 at 134,700 miles and then the day I bought it, ot surprisingly, ark Place Motors installed a new Bosch alternator and Mercedes-Benz OEM battery. The car had mostly just been in the garage. Since 1998 the lawyer drove the car just a little over 7,000 miles in 17 years! The tires have to have been updated not long ago though, s they are not old. The current miles, 42,650 is considered very low for these cars - with proper care these engines really have an unlimited lifespan. The engine is the legendary OM 617, aid by many to be "the best engine Mercedes has ever built". The w123 turbodiesel coupes were only made from 1981 to 1985, nd a total of only 8,007 units were produced, ll for the US market. This is a rare car!
The car runs and drives beautifully. Once I got the car to Denver I had the valves adjusted, nd I changed the oil, eplaced the oil filter, he air filter, nd both fuel filters. The tires and brakes are excellent. The engine has smooth power delivery and the car easily cruises at 80+ MPH on the highway. The transmission shifts exactly as designed, nd everything works except the cruise control. That includes the A/C (blows cold and has been converted to R-134A), ll the vacuum elements including the center air diffusers, he door locks, tc. Everything electric works as well, ncluding all lights, ll four windows, he original radio and automatic antenna, he clock, nd the sunroof. All the other gauges work also, ncluding both the regular odometer and the trip odometer. The fuel gauge works well along the top half of the range, ut a little erratically under half.
There is no rust on the body, nd all the paint is original and glossy. It has never been wrecked or had any body work done. There is the occasional paint chip or ding, s I have tried to show in the pictures. Paint is only original once and this is just that! The paint is Mercedes 737 Classic White. The moldings and chrome are straight and complete, nd the panels are all in their factory position.
The interior is Mercedes color code 252 Blau (blue) leather. Leather was an expensive option in those years and not many cars were ordered with it. The leather is still in beautiful condition which is very rare for these cars. There is one small crack in the leather is on the flat top part of the back seat, assenger side. The blue dash has a couple cracks, hich is common - an un-cracked blue dash is almost unheard of. There is one place in the factory floor mat on the driver side where the owner's heel worked its way into the carpet, ut the other factory insulated mats are all in basically mint condition. The car does come with a set of aftermarket "factory" mats in fine condition. The rest of the interior is clean and fresh, ree of stains or blemishes, ncluding the headliner, oor cards, tc. The glass is all factory original, he windshield being Sigla brand and the rest of the glass all Sekurit brand. Underneath the car is clean and dry. There are no leaks, o rust, o damage. This car has been pampered its entire life.
The original bill of sale is included with the car, long with all the factory books, ncluding warranty and service books. The original set of tools is still in the plastic bag. They appear to have never been used. The total price paid for this car in 1983 was $36,219. I'm not sure what that equals in today's dollars but I would guess at least double that.
The car is completely ready to go. I would not hesitate to drive it across the country as-is. It is fast, mooth, nd quiet. The suspension and steering feel firm and right, ust as they should. Please do not hesitate to contact me by email using the "ask a question" link below if you have any questions at all. I will do my best to answer right away. Also I have many more pictures. Please contact me by email for the link to my Flikr account with a complete set of pictures. I have tried to show as much as possible in the 24 pictures eBay allows me in this listing but 24 is limiting. The car is currently inside my garage in Denver and available to be inspected and test-driven. Please ask any questions before the end of the auction and please have your funding in order before you bid. This car is 32 years-old and in beautiful condition, nd will be sold as-is, here-is and no warranty stated or implied. Payment will be cash in person or wire transfer to my bank. A $500.00 deposit via Paypal is required within 24 hours of the auction close. I would be glad to pick up the winning bidder at the Denver airport, r will do whatever I can to assist with shipping the car if needed.
Thank you very much for your interest!