Vehicle Description
When gas prices spiked a few years ago, cars like this 1981
Mercedes-Benz 300D Euro were suddenly very much in demand.
Virtually indestructible and capable of pulling down some rather
impressive fuel economy, they're always the first go-to vehicles
when times get tough. The fact that you can enjoy Mercedes-levels
of luxury while you save money is simply icing on the cake.
Yes, I'd call these desirable, if not collectable, because good
ones never remain on the market for long. This one is a gray market
car, brought stateside from Europe in 1984 and currently shows a
barely broken-in 59,528 actual miles. Since Mercedes diesels can go
to a million without much hesitation, strap in for the long haul
with this Merc. If you think we're joking, it would be a mistake to
bet against it eventually running a million miles because these are
perhaps the most reliable machines ever devised by man. The W123
series cars were notorious for rusting in northern climates, but
this one has been absolutely pampered its whole life, so the
sheetmetal is as well-preserved as the mechanicals. The blue paint
is original, shines well, and really looks as good as photographed.
The chrome and stainless trim remains very good as well, including
the familiar Mercedes-Benz grille, which is still one of the most
recognized symbols of wealth and quality on the road. Lastly, who
doesn't love those Euro bumpers? This Merc looks just like the
German engineers designed it to look, without those gaudy safety
bumpers we Yanks had to suffer with.
Looking for MB-Tex? Remember, it's a gray market Euro-spec, and
cloth was very common across the pond in the 80s for Mercedes. The
interior is in excellent shape, which shouldn't be a surprise
because the stuff wears like iron. The bucket seats show no notable
signs of wear (another point in favor of the low mileage) and there
aren't many cars that are better long-distance cruisers than this,
as long as your bladder can withstand the miserly fuel economy and
range. It is still a Mercedes, after all, so you get a beautiful
instrument panel and console, a giant steering wheel, and big,
round gauges that should look familiar to anyone who has driven one
of these in the past few decades. There's also a Becker
AM/FM/Cassette radio that's in fantastic condition and still works!
There's also automatic climate control and power windows, so this
Benz is hardly stripped down. Plenty of room in back and the trunk
will handle all the luggage you can carry.
The 300D nomenclature suggests a diesel 3.0 liter inline-5 (yes,
five cylinders), which was a mainstay of Mercedes-Benz production
for many years. If you see a Mercedes in Morocco pulling taxi duty,
this is what's powering it. Indestructible, easy to maintain, and
with fuel economy that will rival the best of today's cars, it's
all about having your cake and eating it too. They're legendary for
their durability and should run practically forever with basic
maintenance. This one has been very well maintained along the way,
but you'll probably find that oil changes and an occasional wash
and wax are all it asks. It starts easily and idles with a familiar
diesel clatter, and while the horsepower and torque figures are
modest, this car will cruise all day at 75 MPH with the engine just
purring away up front. You can also thank the 4-speed automatic
transmission and tall rear gears, which certainly help in the
economy department, and the suspension and brakes make it feel
lively yet comfortable on the road. Like I said, there aren't many
better road trip vehicles. Standard steel wheels with color-matched
hubcaps look great and carry 195/70/14 Michelin Defender
radials.
A Mercedes is always a Mercedes, but when it's such a clean, low
mileage example that will also pay you back with astounding fuel
economy and reliability, you can count it as a double win. Call
today!