1980 Mercedes 250 - ONE FAMILY OWNED FROM NEW; RARE EURO-MODEL W123 With 4-SPEED

1980

Mercedes Benz

250 Euro Sedan

“One Family owned since new”

VIN: WDB123 026 10085372

Back in the early summer of 1985 the Mueller family made another of their several-a-decade travels back to Germany. On this trip they returned home here to western Washington state with an addition: Mr. Mueller’s brother had passed along this gorgeous 1980 W123 sedan to the family. They promptly christened the car “Gustav” and then fussed over it, always giving regular attention, for the next 35 years. The Benz was driven sparingly, pretty much only on the long country roads of rural Camano Island. As late as 1985, the records we received with the vehicle indicate it had traveled less than 25,000 total miles. Because we’re in the middle of winter, I’ve driven the car sparingly, adding only about 300 miles.

It’s now time for “Gustav” to move on to his next caretaker. What you see here in my pics is a remarkably nice, original (except for paint) gasoline-powered six-cylinder sedan. If you have questions or would like to inspect the Mercedes before the auction ends, please call or text me to set a meeting time at our Auburn, WA warehouse. My name is Mark and my direct number is (206) 914-1173.

CONDITION:

Little has been changed since the late Mr. Mueller brought the car home all those years ago. The odometer reads just under 103,350 (both the speedometer and odometer work properly).

My un-retouched photos really also tell the story. The exterior is in remarkably nice, original condition. Because a good quality respray has been applied, the solid-color China blue paint holds quite a shine and is free of scratches and dings. With a quick glance you’ll see there aren't any chips or cracks in the glass either. Turn the key and the bullet-proof carbureted 2.5 liter inline six-cylinder starts every time, even when cold. My tech did a complete tune-up that included new sparkplugs, the distributor cap & rotor along with the engine oil and filter within the past two weeks.

The four-speed transmission shifts great between gears and has a strong clutch. I’ve made no attempt to update the remarkably decent stock engine compartment. Back in the trunk you'll find the factory jack and complete Mercedes tool kit stowed with the spare tire.

Rust? Please, this Benz hates body rust and you will be hard pressed to find anything here to worry about. Yes, the Puget Sound region is famous for rain, but our winter roads are rarely salted. At most we’ll only have one or two days of light snow a year. Everyone panics and stays home with a good book. Climb over, under and throughout this car – I’m convinced you’ll come up smiling. I’ve found NO evidence of any rust repair, panel replacement or bondo lurking under the paint.

Please look again at the interior pictures. These original medium blue European-only fabric seats and door panels are in excellent condition on all surfaces. No wear-through spots or cracks on the seat bases or bolsters. No typical sagging, broken springs either. The factory headliner is intact, excellent and without holes, sagging or evidence of water stains. I’m quite impressed with the condition of the dash gauges. They seem as clear and bright as the day this rig left Stuttgart four decades ago! Like most european model Mercedes of the era, it arrived from the Fatherland with manual crank windows. Yes, that's the original Becker “Gran Prix” stereo there in the dash console and it gets decent reception! The radio is a very unusual four-band model (meaning besides AM-FM, it also receives low and short-wave broadcasts). If you decide to update to something more modern, please let me have first crack at the Becker as this rare working model is worth a fortune all by itself. I'll even pay the shipping!

The original short factory bumpers and unique adjustable headlights are still in place retaining the look that the W123 model designers intended! We’ve made no effort to open the electric sunroof. I'll be sure to include the original service record book and hangtag (both in German) in their plastic folio stowed away in the glove compartment (Mr. Mueller's large 3-ring binder holding a rare workshop manual will be in the trunk) when the Benz leaves my warehouse. The buyer will receive the Mueller’s clean, free-and-clear 1985 Washington State title along with a Bill of Sale. They'll be sent separate from the car by USPS Priority Mail with a tracking number and a signature required at delivery.

In addition to the positives, I always point out any issues I’ve encountered: The only things to report are the factory first aid kit is missing from its package shelf storage compartment and the driver's side hood hinge has come loose from its mount near the firewall after losing a bolt (I’ve opened and closed the hood gently without problem).

PLEASE BID WITH CONFIDENCE and know that you are purchasing a very nice car from a respected Ebay seller. I want you to be happy with your purchase (and with me) and that’s the main goal! Please don’t be upset by some other missed flaw or an unforeseen problem! No vintage vehicle is ever perfect.

Because of the amount of money involved in buying a vehicle, we require that Ebay members with a feedback history of five or fewer transactions call or email before placing a bid. If I don’t have this initial contact, your bids may be cancelled. As I’ve outlined above, the phone number to talk directly to me is 206/914-1173. Please feel free to call or text any time during the auction. My name is MARK. You're welcome and encouraged to come by my Auburn, WA warehouse to inspect and drive the Mercedes. You might also make an offer as many of my vehicles sell to smart “early bird” collectors that call and work out a deal prior to the auction’s end. I always reserve the right to sell during this period.

A Few Additional Terms and Conditions:

The entire purchase price is due by cash (in-person only), a wire transfer or other certified funds within seven days of the auction closing. I can accept credit/debit cards but will need to first send an invoice from our card processor and ask that the 3.25% fee charged by them be added. Please remember you're bidding to buy, and I fully expect the winning bidder to fulfill their Ebay contract! You are not bidding to hold or then come inspect and test-drive the vehicle later -- You’re more than welcome to do this before the auction ends.

If you decide to have thecar shipped home, there are numerous vehicle transportcompanies to choose from. While delivery and the company chosen are the responsibility of the BUYER, I ship vehicles regularly and have access to the nationwide Central Dispatch system. By forwarding your Zip Code, I can check and see what typical delivery costs have been to most areas of the country recently and can then post a transport offer for delivery of the car at a fair price. We’ll usually have a shipper lined up within a few days. The buyer pays the transporter COD when they arrive with the vehicle. No upfront deposit or other hassles.