1983 Mercedes Benz 300SD Turbo Diesel! Silver, 135k miles! AMAZING condition!!!!

For Sale by ORIGINAL OWNER!!Single owner vehicle. Amazing condition!No tears in leather seats. Working A/C & Heat. Power windows and locks. Drives like a dream!This vehicle is SOLID!Car has lived in Southern California since 1983; never seen snow or extreme temperatures!25 mpgTaking offers!!An article on the MB 300SD Turbo Diesel:" "Engineered like no other car in the world" was the marketing slogan Mercedes used for the S-Class though most of the 80’s. However unlike most marketing spins that greatly exaggerate products abilities. this slogan was actually speaking the truth. The name “S-Class” is an abbreviation of the German word "Sonderklasse" meaning “special class” or “class of its own”. The S-Class designation was first officially used in the 1973 model year for the W116 series of automobiles that were produced from 1973 to 1980. In the past Mercedes-Benz was well known for over engineered products and quality that was second to none. Because the S-Class was the top range in the line the vehicles were engineered without regards to cost. Mercedes-Benz attention to detail and over engineering of the smallest details has won over many buyers. so many in fact that the S-Class is the best selling luxury sedan in the world. This philosophy continued until the late 1990’s when Mercedes bought Chrysler and the company slowly lost its way and quality and engineering became secondary to sales volume. Known as the W126 within Mercedes-Benz. this big Benz has a well deserved reputation for luxury and durability. The W126 had the longest production run of any S-Class generation before or since. It was also the most popular with consumers as well. Almost 900. 00 of these sedans and coupes were produced over its life span. That is staggering considering that this was a range topping model and being a Benz. not all that cheap either. Not only was it popular with well heeled buys but it was very popular with dignitaries and heads of state. The S-Class is so popular that 97% of the world’s governments have them in their fleet. If you owned your own country. you probably had a W126 S-Class or perhaps a fleet of them. And if the population of your country didn’t like you Mercedes offered the S-guard package complete with bullet-proof glass and armored body panels. And you could opt of a stretched limo version so that you could bring along your military guard. In the 80’s and well into the 90’s you were a “somebody” if you were riding in a W126 Mercedes. The “common” buyer had plenty of choices when it came to buy a W126. You could chose from a “short” wheelbase SE. a long wheelbase SEL if you wanted a gas powered sedan. If you wanted diesel sedan that would last you a thousand years you had a choice of two wheelbases as well with the SD and SDL. And if that wasn’t enough choices Mercedes seemed to offer any engine that was available on the planet. That might be a slight exaggeration but you could have a 5 cylinder turbo diesel with 123bhp all the way up to a big 5. 6 litre V8 with 275bhp and about a million different 6 cylinder variations. Through the years the W126 was produced there were about 26 engines for all the markets around the world. With all the body styles. lengths and engine choices. combined with the encyclopedia sized colour. trim and options lists the buyer was able to have exactly what they wanted. The vast array of choices. unmatched luxury. bullet proof reliability and rock solid build quality made the W126 an unparalleled success. The styling of the W126 was revolutionary for Mercedes in 1979 when it was introduced. This S-Class was designed to be aerodynamic and efficient. It was to be the basis of design for the rest of the Mercedes-Benz lineup for the 1980’s. At first some were not thrilled with the new styling. The new car lost the traditional big chrome bumpers and large slab sided look that was synonymous with big Benz’s. Personally I love the styling. it’s a modern classic and combines aerodynamics with classic chrome trim and trade mark large up right Mercedes grill perfectly. The coupe is especially pretty and the short wheel base sedan is my other favorite and looks just right in white. The SEL just looks a smidge too long in my opinion. as if it was hung up from its rear bumper and left out in the sun just a bit too long causing the car to stretch from the weight of the engine up front. Open the driver’s door and you immediately understand why Mercedes was the standard for quality. From the precise operation of the door handle to the vault like thunk when you close the door. you know that care was taken building this German tank. And remember this is after 27 years of use! Inside quality and luxury abound. The smell of the rich leather is intoxicating and the real wood trim adds warmth. the switches feel solid and the carpeting is lavish. And those seats! No one makes a better front seat in the business; whoever designed those seats deserves a statue of themselves in from of Mercedes-Benz headquarters in Stuttgart. marvelous! The ambiance of the interior is hard to explain and one that Mercedes just can’t match today. a shame really. In today’s world of rapidly fluxing market trends and rushing vehicles to market I doubt that Mercedes will be able to equal the W126 S-Class. but then again I could be wrong. but I’m never wrong. right? "Borrowed from the Motoring Enthusiast Journal's own James Dolan