Father's Day: 1980 Mercedes-Benz 240D

Happy Father's Day (a bit late maybe...but whatever) to all you fathers out in cyberspace -- this next car is something that looks like a car my dad drove back in the day and brings back a strong sense of nostagia for me.  My old man would get them with about 200k miles on the odo, drive them till 300k and then hand them down to one of the kids.  Yes, if something breaks it was expensive...but most everything could be mended with duct tape or ignored.  The seller says it has manual windows, which is good, but manual locks, which is bad...because it means the vacuum system for the locks is broken...but you can still manually lock and unlock 'em. Find this 1980 Mercedes-Benz 240D offered for $4700 in Los Angeles, CA via craigslist.

Tectonic Acceleration: 1978 Mercedes-Benz 240D W123

One of my favorite automotive memories was driving a vintage Mercedes oil burner through the hilly streets of San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood. The 2.4 liter inline-4 cylinder non-turbo diesel engine didn't have much punch, but it did have enough torque to lug up seriously steep hills will very minimal throttle (errr...rack) input. Few cars have a similar ability to be started in first gear without the use of a the go-pedal up a hill...but you could just dump the clutch and go. I don't miss the tectonic acceleration...but I do miss a few interesting details on that old Benz.  Find this 1978 Mercedes-Benz 240D offered for $3,200 in Sevastopol, CA via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.

Autoa Tarvitseville: 1978 Mercedes-Benz W123 Ambulance

The W123 generation Mercedes-Benz is known in the USA as a diesel smoke belching executive car that was driven by older professor types when new...but to people from exotic places like Germany, Iran, or Tunisia, the W123 is known for being a taxi-cab, limousine, or ambulance. Find this 1978 Mercedes-Benz W123 Ambulance offered for $9200 in San Francisco, CA via craigslist.  Tip from John.

Brick Colored: 1981 Mercedes-Benz 300D

In the words of my old man: If I've told you once, I've told you a million times, don't exaggerate!! So, when this next seller called this car the "Nicest 1981 Mercedes 300D on CL!" I don't think they were totally accurate, but perhaps it is the nicest '81 Benz for the very basic asking price?  Yeah, I can get behind that.  Find this 1981 Mercedes Benz 300D offered for $2999 in Dublin, CA via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.

Euro Import: 1980 Mercedes-Benz 280TE Wagon

This next car might not be the barn find big block muscle machine that you've been searching for and it will probably never be featured on some Velocity Channel TV show...but it does have a certain combination of utility, cheapness, and cool-factor that makes it worthy of a feature. Find this 1980 Mercedes Benz 280TE offered for $3800 in Dallas, TX via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.

Seller Submission: 1982 Mercedes-Benz 300TD

The Mercedes-Benz W123 is about as close to a tank for the road as you can find. They combine a uniquely pleasant driving experience (albeit slow...but the turbo version is quicker) with a rugged drive train, chassis, interior...well just about everything. This next example has some rust that the next owner will need to tackle, but for the right guy with a welder -- the price is very reasonable.  Or you could drive it for a year or two and then sell it to the next guy or part it out if the rust gets too bad. Either way, this car is probably worth it for the price of the window glass. Find this 1982 Mercedes-Benz 300TD offered for $1950 in New Albany, IN via craigslist. Seller submission from Robert.

Oil Stain Slow: 1981 Mercedes-Benz 240D

If "slow and steady" does indeed win the race, then you'll be the king of the trophies with this next featured car, because the only thing slower on the road is the oil that drips from your neighbor's pickup truck -- and why does he always park that thing in front of your house? Doesn't he have space in his driveway? Find this 1981 Mercedes-Benz 240D offered for $4,250 in Anaheim, CA via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!

Baby Blues: 1977 Mercedes-Benz 240D

The seller of this next vehicle really knows what he/she is doing and takes some nice photos of a baby blue Benz highlighted against the blue sky...but I really don't care because I owned one of these years ago and I really want this one! Find this 1977 Mercedes-Benz 240D offered for $6,500 in Noblesville, IN via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!

Benz-Liger: 1979 Mercedes 240D

Enthusiasm for WVO grease cars seems to have waned considerably from the peak in the early 2000s.  Today's unique two door w123 Mercedes does have one trend that enthusiasts still can't seem to get enough of: car in the front and truck in the back or Camino-ization.  There are not any new Camino style cars sold in the USA right now.  A cottage industry converting late model Jetta's has sprung up to feed the void left by the retirement of the Ranchero, Camino, Brat, Baja, Rampage, and VW Caddy.  This grease burning diesel Camino's lack of computers will make every doomsday prepper's heart flutter.  Find this 1979 Mercedes 240D for sale in Washago, Ontario for $1,600 via kiijiji.

West Coast Contender: 1983 Mercedes 240D

If you are after a retro 1980's driver that will not break the bank, a Mercedes W123 diesel sedan is a great choice.  The 70 hp of diesel fury will not get you anywhere in a hurry, but the electric blue paint with coordinating hubcaps will win Miami Vice fans admiration.  Like the W115 predecessor, the W123 did not lose the bank vault feel of quality and solid construction.  The four circular headlights here will never go out of style unlike the ovals shaped lights found on the later W210's that look passe' already.  Find this 1983 Mercedes 240D for sale in Portola CA for $5,000 via craigslist.  Tip from Fuel Truck.

Seller Submission: 1981 Mercedes-Benz 240D W123

This next car is a 1981 Mercedes-Benz 240D located in NYC that comes as a seller submission from Jeremy who writes: Yes, it has rust in the fenders and bottom of drivers door. Yes, it has some blowby. Yes the clearcoat is peeling, the paint is original, it has a couple inexplicable dents. The glow plugs are 14 years old and probably need to be replaced. It started in 5 degree weather this winter without a block heater.

However, I did a huge amount of preventative maintenance so my ex could take our kid around safely and I did not have to hear about any breakdowns or failures on my behalf. Please review ad for brief summary of work done to make this a reality.

It is a driver, good from 10-15 feet if you squint, depending on the light. But the A/C blows cold, every little thing works on it besides cruise control, which works sometimes, if you are comfortable using a 40 year old manually actuated cruise control. Also the Becker stereo eats tapes or alternately vomits them back out. The AM/FM works beautifully, antenna goes up and down every time. I drove it 350 miles on Saturday morning and it returned 30mpg. 

Euro-Kraut: 1980 Mercedes 230TE 4 Speed

Almost all Mercedes W123 E Class cars sold in the USA were diesel powered.  The OM617 diesel engines move these cars at a snails pace, but have the reputation for being nearly un-killable.  The rest of the world had much greater choice in both engines and transmissions.  Large USA spec bumpers were an definite eyesore in comparison to their slim euro counterparts.  Today's euro spec wagon has a 2.3 four cylinder engine most commonly found in the later W201 190E.  Find this 1980 Mercedes 230TE 4 Speed for sale in Kinnelon, NJ for $5,000 via craigslist.

4-Speed Tank: 1981 Mercedes-Benz 240D W123

by Al -- Here is a chance to buy into the world renowned bank vault quality that is the Mercedes Benz W123 for less than 7 monthly payments on a new Camry. Anyone that was around in the 70s or 80s will remember their favorite dentist or math professor driving one of these. The low asking price and E-Z parts availability of these cars ensures that this one can be used as a daily beater without too much difficulty…well at least in cooler weather, as no mention is made of working AC. For Sale in the sunny San Fernando Valley in SoCal is this 1981 Mercedes Benz 240D with a 4-speed manual transmission offered for $2,500.

5k: Euro Market Classic: 1981 Mercedes-Benz 230TE W123

The Mercedes W123 series was the predecessor to the modern E-class sedan and is known as one of the most rugged cars ever built with examples running millions of miles all around the world.  A W123 won't win any competitions involving speed or handling, but if you ever need a car to play tortoise to all the other hares, this is it.  Expect the engine to outlast just about everything else on the road and the chassis will take an amazing amount of abuse and just keep on ticking.  Find this 1981 Mercedes-Benz 230TE W123 offered for $6,000 in San Marcos, CA via craigslist.

10k: W123 Survivor: 1985 Mercedes-Benz 300CD

The Mercedes-Benz W123 chassis won't win any competitions involving speed or handling, but if you ever need a car to play tortoise to all the other hares, this is it.  Expect the engine to outlast just about everything else on the road and the chassis will take an amazing amount of abuse and just keep on ticking.  Find this 1985 Mercedes-Benz 300CD here on eBay currently bidding for $8,800 reserve-not-met located in Annapolis, MD with a few hours to go.

10k: W123 Coo-Pay: 1979 Mercedes-Benz 300CD

The 1980s vintage Mercedes-Benz sedans (W123, W124, W126) elicit a love/hate response from car guys of various proclivities.  Some folks love the sumptuous ride and fire-n-forget durability, but others react badly to the glacial acceleration and star-ship maneuverability.  Personally, I've driven many of these cars over the years and am conflicted because they were horrible and awesome all at the same time.  Today's feature example is a really nicely preserved example with low miles (for a diesel Benz)...but would you really enjoy driving it after the cash has exchanged hands?  Find this 1979 Mercedes-Benz 300CD offered for $8,000 in Denver, CO via craigslist.  Tip from Kaibeezy.

20k: Ugly Goosling: 1980 Mercedes-Benz 300CD W123

The story of the Ugly Duckling (as originally told by Hans Christian Andersen) involves a young goose who is mistakenly absorbed into a family of ducks.  However, what if that ugly duckling had really just been an ugly duck and when it grew up it was still sort of ugly and bitter about being ugly. Would it be this W123 Mercedes-Benz coupe, all grown up but demanding a serious price for his unloved upbringing?  Find this 1980 Mercedes-Benz 300CD W123 offered for $18,900 or best offer on eBay, located in Brooklyn, NY with 18 days to go.