Posted on 12/24/2022 6:11:36 AM PST by FLNittany
Mercedes Benz W123 is the best-selling Mercedes-Benz of all time - 2.7 million made. It radiates old-school spirit of quality engineering.
I'd love to find an old TD wagon (I'm sure I'm not alone). The enormous sound of those diesel engines always sounded like fine music to me.
Yep - They’re getting a bit chintzy these days.
How European.
Who cares.
May be reliable and well made, but look like refrigerators to me. Square boring, utilitarian appliance.
Not mine but simialr to mine. I have a V6 w/ manual trans. After 200K miles it seems like it is just getting "broke in".
The design still looks good 40+ years later.
“”The enormous sound of those diesel engines always sounded like fine music to me.””
I used to live on my bicycle, riding it to work, school, doctor appointments, everywhere. You always knew when this car was near by the very distinctive diesel engine sound.
Great car. It would be good to get a YouTube video narrated by an English speaking person, rather than by an east European strip club owner.
This sedan, and the generation before it, are what I think of when I think of Mercedes sedans. Ever dependable, roomy, and well-engineered.
Either due to bean counters or regulations, MB lost their way.
Ah, for the days when German cars actually had style.
I have 2 1967 SE’s.
Many memories..
My favorite was the 1969 Volvo 144.
It’s a bit “boxy”.
Mercedes get into the fashion business. Can’t sell a lot of cars when they last a long, long time. That plan sells parts. The fashion plans sells cars because no one wants an older model Mercedes! That makes you look cheap. Got to keep up!
My dad in the 1950’s purchased Cadillacs, they were the successful businessman’s car. Only problem Cadillacs were redesigned every year. So in 1959 he purchased a Mercedes because they only redesign every seven years. Saved on buying six cars!
I buy cars that are exactly that. Utilitarian appliances.
You don’t necessarily drive a Ferrari to the grocery store or lumber yard.
My Toyota Sequoia is a rather ugly vehicle on the outside, but on the inside it has the best dash layout, and overall creature comforts and good driving manners of any of the light duty trucks. When I’m on the inside, I can’t see the outside shape and it is a non-issue.
South central TN seems to be a place where people won’t give up their 95-04 chevy blazer/s10 suv/pickups. Relatively compact and easy to work on. I have two of them, both 4dr 2wd. An 01 and an 04. The 01 has 304k miles and still has the original drivetrain.
I trucked enough when I lived in the midwest to know that 4wd doesn’t help much when running road tires. Proof was all the 4 wheel drives I’d see in the ditch and midians with only a couple inches of wet snow.
My then-girlfriend (future wife) owned the gasoline version in the same white color and sedan body style. It had a stick shift which, one night on a date, got stuck in second gear. It was great fun driving home 40 miles in second gear!
There was nothing worse in that era than getting stuck behind a diesel car on CA-50 from the Bay Area on the way to Tahoe in winter. The acrid diesel stench was awful and made your eyes water and your throat sore. It was so bad you’d have to pull over for 15 minutes for the fumes to clear from the road and you’d pray you wouldn’t have the misfortune to get behind another stink-mobile.
No, the late models of the W108 that preceded it were better. Essentially the same car as the sedan in the top picture, but with a 4.5 liter gasoline engine crammed in and in the “L” models backseat legroom and comfort unmatched.
I never saw a “D” that didn’t roll coal and smell like a truck.
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