Class & Dignity - 1983 Mercedes-Benz 230 E (W123)
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- Опубліковано 25 січ 2020
- The W123 is the car that secured Mercedes' reputation for building some of the best cars in the world.
It wasn't a trailblazer in terms of technology, but it was built to be dependable and luxurious.
Every taxi in the world can't be wrong.
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![[Review] 1979 Mercedes 240D (W123)](/img/n.gif)
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Nice to see a young man appreciating these old gems , whereas everyone these days are only interested in modern and super cars. Well done to you mate 👍
We own a 1985 W123 sedan in 230E auto format that was built right here in South Africa along with 77000 others. Mine has factory A/C, speedcontrol, central locking and rear head restraints with the original Becker Radio still in place. The ride is just sublime for a steel setup as opposed to the air-suspension systems found on luxury cars these days.
The best Mercedes they made in my opinion..
One I would dearly love to own...
Well done describing a car that came way before your time. You’ve done your homework 👌🏻
Thanks!
Another great review, and what a beautiful example of a W123. I owned a 1977 280e in 2010 that the previous owner had bought new in Germany and had delivered to the Philippines where he was a diplomat, later he retired in Thailand which is where I bought it. The engine ran like new except the rubber pipes around the idle speed control were perished and the fuel accumulator was faulty causing difficult hot start.. both easy to fix. I drove it for a lot of miles and toured Laos in it on, where some of the roads would only normally be taken in a 4x4. 20 miles after getting off the ferry across the Mekong back into Thailand it had its one failure to start, the voltage regulator had failed and the battery was flat. We were outside a 7/11 store in rural Thailand and there was a group of Ladyboys standing there (Transvestites),they took of their high heels and helped us push start the car, then directed us to a local mechanic who fixed it for the equivalent of 10 quid.
Sadly by 2013 it was virtually impossible to buy proper petrol in Thailand, and the old K jetronic fuel injection would not run properly on the 20 percent ethanol fuel is sold there. I sold it to a Chinese lady who took it to China. I did not know then that I’d soon be relocating to Ireland or I would have kept it and took it with me.
W123 is deserving the title of the best car ever built, but many people forget how amazing the early W124 models are. If you go to places like Africa today there is a 90% chance that the taxi will be a late 80s w124. They started to use some plastic parts on the W124, but not in places where it really mattered. I’d love to own another w123 and this time it would be a 230 and automatic, I love classic cars and the W123 is one of those classic cars that you can totally use as an everyday car.
Thanks!
It's the stories that make these cars really interesting. They become part of society and parts of people's lives.
Why would you go for the 230 now? Is the 280 a six cylinder?
E20 is just one of the fuels available in Thailand then, and now. 95 octane has always been available and, contrary to your false claim, getting "proper petrol" in 2013 would have been no problem.
Benz is the father of the automotive industry....greetings from Jamaica 🇯🇲
I agree with you on all aspects of your review. I loved my 1984 280E. I really miss it. I could write an essay about that car, it was exceptional. If you had electric windows, the switches would fill the space aorund the mirror control in the centre console so it looked a lot more symmetrical. If you pull out the main light switch you could turn the front and rear fog lights on. The 280E was the first car to have ABS as standard too.
As I said, I could wax lyrical for hours on this car. Don't worry, I won't bore you. The last MB to built like a bank vault. Love them. Excellent work. Thanks very much.
Thanks!
I would say the W124 was also built like a bank vault. If I could find a 300D W124 with reasonable mileage I would pounce at the chance.
@@Perkelenaattori Yeah, probably true. I like the more "classic" look of the W123 myself. Mind you, I would consider W124 300TE.
@@grayfool Oh I like the looks of the 123 more too. 124 is more angular. But yes Mercedes used to have 11 guys per every 50 line workers just for quality control when they were making the 123 & 124. For the 210 it was changed to 2. Coincidentally the 210 being horrible is the only reason they take BMW as a serious competitor because at the same time BMW made the E39 which is possibly the best BMW ever.
Hi Twin-Cam. Loved your great review. I live in Colombia and have a 1981 230E since new. Picked it up with my father at the Sindelfingen plant in Germany on 16 February 1981 (so it is going to be 39 years old in a few days) and bought it from him in 1992. Have had it since then. It is a great car and you can still find most of the spares.I had the engine rebuilt in 1997 and has been running alright since then. The automatic transmission was also repaired in 2017. The K Jetronic injection system had been giving me some trouble for a while recently, but after a recent visit to the shop seems to now be running very well. I have other newer cars but am very fond of the oldie 230E.
Love your commentary, you perfectly capture what makes classic Mercedes so special! One thing I noticed with mine about the tactile quality of the switches, it isn't just the switches that feel so nice, it's that they're mounted in what feels like solid granite, the whole dash and console in fact doesn't flex a millimeter, it feels like one solid piece. So when you actuate the switch you feel only the click, not also the flexing you do with most cars.
My older cousin had a 230E as a company car at that time. It was a B reg. he had the electric steel sunroof option, the switch fits in the blank area of switches on the top of the centre console. Compared to the cars of the time, despite its modest standard spec, it felt and was significantly higher quality. I think it cost as much or more than a Granada 2.8i Ghia X which was 6 cylinder and much higher standard spec. Well done on your appreciation of this arguably mundane but classic vehicle.
My family visited The Pinnacles in Western Australia in two cars. My Mother was driving our 230E and I was driving my Ford Laser S. The road leading to the site was horrendous, really should only have been done with a 4X4. I was bouncing all over the place and bashing rocks under the Laser. The Merc was just like it was on a Sunday drive and soaked up everything with fantastic suspension articulation. These cars are legends in Africa for good reason.
Great review Great car, my parent's and uncle owned and drove these cars when new, as a child I always thought it an occasion on every journey wonderful
I bought an 'X' reg 230e from a family estate about 12 years ago. It was mint with 90k on it and only needed the steering box adjustment and a brake hose clip. 500 quid!! Looking at the prices now, I wish I'd had the room to have kept her longer than I did. I've had dozens of great cars and the w123 was the one I miss the most. Beautiful.
Wat een serieus commentaar van zo'n jonge gast.
Goed om te zien dat de jongere generatie deze auto weet te waarderen.
I drove such W123 taxis in the early 80s, including a 300D estate. They were built like tanks! Very comfortable during a long day or night of constant driving. I believe my customers loved them as much as I did. Very good video! Thank you! :-)
Thanks!
One of the best cars in the world. When I lived in Portugal, I had a 1982 5-cylinder 300 D and it was superb, very comfortable and very reliable, not at all economical (10 litres of diesel for 100 kms). Anyway, today it is still possible to see some circulating as taxis in Berlin and Lisbon with diesel engines and more than a million miles...
I really like your channel, congratulations and keep up the good work.
Thanks!
Ein Engländer der so liebevoll und ehrfürchtig über Deutsche Ingenieurskunst referiert. Fast nicht zu glauben !
Nicht schwer zu glauben. Die Deutschen stellen einige sehr gute Autos her und sind in Großbritannien sehr beliebt. Deutsche Autos haben hier einen sehr guten Ruf!
My dream car. I owned a W123 200, which I found a joy to drive, but it was sluggish. When I bought the 230E later, that was a gem , it had the power to move without effort. The only thing I found annoying was the wheel caps, they either would fall off during driving or they would scrape against the curb during parking. Love to own one now, if only Mercedes Benz still produced them.
W123 from 1976 until 1985 was my all time favourite.
A great review. I love the old "Lebanon Taxi" You've a really great natural and articulate presentation style.
Thanks!
Great Video. My dad had 2x W123 back in the days. It is still one the best car's I have ever driven.
Almost 40 years ago but this car is beautiful. Conclusion the Mercedes benz W124 is never die.
Just gotta say I really like your enthusiasm for a young bloke on classic cars. I've a W124 estate that's been off the road for 2 years and needs a bit of work but only washed it today and felt the heart strings pulling again once it started to shine. Love if you did a review on a Mk1 or 2 W124 estate. Keep up the good work!
Thanks!
Hopefully at some point I'll get an offer to come and do a 124. It'll be interesting to compare the two generations of mid-size Benz!
Great video, you are getting better with each one. A stunning example of a classic Mercedes, I do like these cars.
Thanks!
If you've got any suggestions for things you'd like to see or things I could improve on, I'd love to hear.
@@TwinCam are you planning on going to the NEC in march?
@@CortinasAndClassics Yes I am, on the saturday, but unfortunately not in Melvin the Metro this year. I was in my car last year though!
@@TwinCam ah that's a shame you can't take him. I will be there with some other UA-cam creators. Pete C, Classic Britain and myself of course and doing some filming.
Thoroughly enjoyed that presentation! I’ve had 2nd hand Mercedes since about 2003- 2 E-class and for 2 years- a CLK 230 W208Cab. Always found them reliable and easily to maintain- they all have diagnostic that are DIN and can’t be read without Mercedes Star- but I muddle through as I’m an engineer. The CLK is very similar to the E-class in layout and features. For a 21-year-old car- it still turns heads. Everything works and I’m only the 3rd owner. I’m lucky to have been given the chance to buy it as it was my brothers company-car for 17 years- I think he brought it from his company as he liked it and its been regularly serviced. All the defects that it had when I acquired it have been addressed- a problem sometimes when you use a reliably Indy, but they don’t have the knowledge to understand electric’s! My wife had a brand new E-Class and sadly, the build-quality and strength of materials was not anything like those of the past- so it went after 2-years.
Thanks!
It is a bit of a shame that the raw quality of parts used isn't what it used to be with Mercedes-Benz. I suppose the solace is that the quality of materials is much better in many mainstream cars.
My dad had this one when i was a kid, color green with beige interior. He bough it brand new in Germany and drove it back to Belgrade where we live. That was such a great car for family and travels. :) You brought me back some good old memories.
Well done. Simply superb presentation.
My compliments young man 👨
Very nice vid, and nice to see a very young man like you appreciating these classic cars
Thanks!
Great video.
My Neighbours used to have one when I was a small kid. Hè used to taken me to the football games on Sunday in it.
Magnificant times.
Thanks!
Indeed it is a very well built and most reliable among the Mercedes vehicle. No electronic no headache and I have one unit and is still running since my dad bought it in 1985
Fantastic video. Brings memories. Thank you indeed!
Great video, you are getting better with each one.
I grew up with multiple W123's (father owned two; still has one, grandfather had one which saved their lives in a crash that would have cost them their lives in a lesser vehicle). If I had to choose any vehicle for sheer reliability's sake, it would be a W123.
Another small but genius feature: The knob to the glove compartment could be pushed to either sides to open the lid (and it could be locked as well). I had a 1981 230 CE (coupe) w. sunroof for several years w. sunroof - I loved it and still miss it, but the rust here (living in Denmark) made it to difficult to keep the cars in the shape it deserves.
Another great video mate, I have 2 old Mercedes in my fleet at the moment. A 1978 W123 230 & a 1989 190e both are very good & feel better than what other manufacturers were making at the time but the W123 just feels so well put together. Mine has done nearly 300 thousand miles.
Thanks!
Agreed the hubcaps is so classy and timeless
IMO the W124 was even more important and legendary. That car and the W140 were the last true Mercedes cars before the quality went down the toilet.
I remember riding in W124s from the airport and thinking they ride beautifully and feel quality.
I really enjoy the pace of your reviews and how concise you are. Great as always.
Your reviews are realy good and a must watch, when I get a notification of a new review from you.
Thanks!
I really love that era Mercedes. Personally I lust for the W116 280S, and hope to have one in not too long. It's such a shame that basically all MBs rust so badly. If it wasn't for that I don't think the W116 or the W123 could die, even if you were sadistic enough to want to. At face value they seemed very expensive for what you got, esp. the W123, but their unrivaled quality justified that. Then they let that slip badly, culminating in the A Class. There's quite a funny story surrounding that car: Swedish car program Trafikmagasinet was threatened with a lawsuit from Mercedes Benz if they showed their test of the car after MB had revised the car after the flip, where the ESP system breaks and makes the car spin out in an avoidance test. They still showed it, and apparently got the lawsuit, but nothing much came of it
I love your enthusiasm for the 123. This was "my" Mercedes the way the E30 was my BMW.
The last two proper Mercs are the 123 and 126
Charles Cleaver so true
I am lucky enough to have 2 w126 and a 190E.
Throw w124 in there
NO the last were the W123, W201, W140, R129
@@bluruckuscrx8124 you forgot w124
luv so much this w123.. its represents the real Mercedes-Benz.. Build For Last
Great job. Just bought a w123 and this is the best video I have watched so far.
Thanks mate :)
What a wonderful car!
Excellent as always.
Thanks!
And once again you have produced a very worthwhile, informative and interesting video. - Thanks Ed, watching this one was like riding in the Benz - to use your words.. "..Everything is just...good, and it doesn't make you want to fall asleep..." I don't wear mustard coloured pants and I did have one of these excellent cars a few years back (the 6 cyl 280E model) and watching your review made me want to have it all over again.. well done and thanks for the great presentation and cool quirky humour. Thanks again.. really looking forward to more from you.
One minor point, I may be wrong, but I think that an "umbrella handbrake" is the one with the J-shaped handle which is normally found under the dash alongside the steering column.
Thanks!
As a classic mercedes driver (w114 coupe 74') you have accurately addressed all the things i expected you to...... nice review...and we can see how much you love cars...which is the most important thing..... keep at it mate, once you get to 10k you soon make the 50.... happy new year
Thanks!
If there’s anything you think I missed out or you’d like to see, I’d love to hear them!
i got a 74 114 coupe you can review, if ever you are in need of new material......its LHD in maple yellow, (brought from Japan) but not with your favoured steel colour coded wheels sadly ..it has factory bundt alloys....its the 280ce with the m110 tronic fuel injection......completely stock.
@@MrFlyingguy Thanks for the offer! Please email me: twincamcars@gmail.com
Great video, I have a 1981 W123 200 manual (M102 motor) that I bought in 1989 off the German Embassy in Wellington,, New Zealand. These Mercedes Benz were built to order, of either the customer, or dealer. The 230e in the video looks like it was ordered from the factory with fairly average spec with the cheapest trim (cloth), no rear headrests, manual windows, the next car off the production line might have been a high spec 230E.The assembly line was computerised to bring together the components to produce each car to the purchasers specific requirements.
Thanks mate ☺️
Excellent video! Love your presentation style,informative and professional.
Top speech on a top car
Thanks Philippe ☺️
Great title and wonderful review, thank you.
Thanks!
Thanks for a great video about a great car!
The Germans have always excelled at supurb quality, but never felt truly luxurious.
My aunt and uncle bought a brand new 230E in 1982 (MUV399X) when I was 7 and my grandad replaced his Jaguar XJ6 with a BMW 728i (NGP99V) in 1980, replacing that with another (A959UGH) in 1983.
None of those German cars left the impression on me that my grandad's Jaguar had and in my teenage years, a friends dad took me and a mate bowling on weekends in a Series 3 XJ6 followed by an XJ40.
I'd always wanted a Series 3 XJ but recently settled for an aluminium X350 generation 3 litre V6 model and German cars seriously just don't compare.
The W123 generation Mercs have grown on me over the years and I really appreciate the quality mile munchers that they are, but when it comes to true luxury on a budget, the British are untouchable!
Got it 300D & 250Е, highend cars of that era
I drove a 91 with 290,000 plus mi. It was a company car that would not dye! Awesome car.
Very bullet proof, LOL!
I have a pristine 1983 230E manual owned by my dad from new. Alas was never converted to unleaded and is now showing signs of premature engine wear after only 16,000 miles. It also has the optional alloy wheels but like you I wish it had the steel wheels with the body coloured hub caps.
I do love these types of Mercedes.
You are so very right! Thank you
Thanks!
Definitely of the best cast ever made in history. Today, I wonder what they could achieve if the same effort was used on a modern vehicle.
Great video!
Hello, my first car was a green W123 200 D from my grandparents and you know what? It was just brilliant to drive. Further I remember there was a comment in the yearbook when i finished school 1999: "The guy with the coolest car at school" Greetz from northern Germany
Enjoyed watching
Thanks,very well done,great detail.
Thanks Paul ☺️
Excellent video
Greetings from Canada, really enjoyed your video and now desire a W123 more than ever. Looking forward to more things from you and am now a new subscriber. Thanks
Thanks mate :)
Great video sir… Wish I exchanged my Sceptre Mk2 with my friend's W123 back in the early '90's, even though it was LHD.
Nice car and a very durable car , a legend 🇩🇪🇩🇪
A superb effort. Your presentation skills are truly excellent. Ive seen this car around, so it was wonderful to see it in detail.
Thank you very much!
Great video ,thanks.
Thanks mate, very kind of you to say, especially considering this is one of my oldest videos 😅
I promise they’ve come on a long way since then!
I am convinced that some classic cars should never haver gone out of production. I am sure that current safety and emission standards could be applied and yes, electrification!!
Just my thoughts on matters.
I love these car. We have like it.
Number One ln the world
I own a w123 280TE It is a wonderful car that you wont regret owning it. I also have w126 280SEL and a R129 SL320. I think these 3 midels that I own makes me feel satisfaction of owning them.
Excellent
Writing to you from States. I watch many, many car related videos and I rarely take the time to comment. I so throroughly enjoyed this video. I am so impressed that soneone of your age can appreciate this classic and treat us to such an trove of great information! If you are ever in the States, I welcome you to drive my minty 560SEC, 560SEL and E320 Cabriolet. Bravo to you for this video!
Thanks!
It’ll probably be a good while before I’m back in the US, but can you drop me an email anyway?
twincamcars@gmail.com
Here's how the automatic transmission selector works in a Mercedes-Benz W123 model:
Left to its own devices the gearbox usually starts in 2nd gear, changing to 3rd at 30 mph and to top at 58 mph.
First gear can only be obtained by flooring the throttle fully away from rest when in "D" or "S" range or by manually selecting "L" for Low range.
In either case, the automatic change-up to 2nd occurs at 22 mph.
When "S" is selected, the automatic change from 2nd to 3rd is slightly delayed, and the change to top must be made manually - the best results can be obtained by changing at a true 60 mph (65 mph indicated).
Excellent review, Ed!
A friend of mine recently (Jan 2021) sold his navy blue W123 230 E for AU$20K! From being junkers a few years ago (mainly thanks to rust on imported UK examples) W123s are finally coming into their own in Australia as valued collectibles (while still being more than adequate daily drivers).
The W123 was built when Daimler-Benz was still run by engineers. Since the mid-90s, though, the company has been run by bean counters, and the loss of quality became terribly apparent during what I call Benz's Decade of Decline ('95-'05).
The bonnet star makes a perfect "gun sight": aim it at the lane-edge line and you're perfectly placed in the middle of your lane.
My current daily driver (I've owned 17 Benzes) is a 1983 C126 500 SEC (sadly, because of design consideration, no bonnet star - just a whopper dreizack in the grille).
Das Beste oder Nichts!
Thanks again mate ☺️
Wonderfull explanation
Another great video fella 👍
Thanks!
The headlight switch. Pull the lever. 1st detent lights up the fog lights. 2nd detent lights the 3rd brake light (for bad weather). Rotate to OFF will retract the lever and put all lights out.
Really Good One.
I'd choose the 190E because the 190 in my opinion screams of mercedes on the very edge of what it had been trying to perfect for so long like the W123 in the video and maybe the last car that was set in that shape before mercedes became obsessed with technology for technology sake and the quality slide in the years after the 190 and this 230 were retired
This is such a good video! Thanks for making one on the w123. I'm currently restoring a 1982 230E!
Thanks mate ☺️
Another great and as ever enthusiastic review.... Agreed no Mercedes will ever be as over engineered, sadly they simply can`t afford to build vehicles that way any more? but having worked as a car body repairer for many years i have to say my favorite and last truly well built Mercedes is the W201, better known as the 190, 190e... An understated near bomb proof beauty....
Thanks!
excellent work there fella, just subscribed. looking forward to the next one. those little holes in the dash could be an alarm sensor or a small speaker for the lights on warning buzzer. ive an ' 86 190 carb, absolutely love it. not as wafty as a 123, more sporty to drive and a tiny bit lighter, lol. keep up the good work mate. Greetings from Ireland.🇮🇪👍
Thanks!
I own a 250 LWB which I bought off the original owners in London. There is nothing quite like it and people look, stare and applaud it wherever you go.
Well done. I miss that era, beside all the smoking :) Was a blast
I was offered a slightly rough but generally good one of these for free in the '90s but didn't take it. Regretted it ever since.
This one's a credit to it's owner, and you did a great video.
If an alien landed on earth and wanted to know what a Mercedes was, you'd show them this model. It's definitive really.
Enjoyed that. Thank you.
👍
Thanks!
This example is utterly wonderful. It just shows the care that it has been given over the years. It's the little things like the genuine Mercedes mats, first-aid kit, and tool kit that really make it the complete article.
Very good video
Mercedes and the W123 was the Tesla before Tesla! Everyone couldn’t get enough of these things
Hi, great video. I myself am a simple person so a Mercedes is a bit much for me but if I "HAD" to pick one it would be the Mercedes McLaren SLR or maybe Mercedes-AMG GT R Black Series, only if I was forced to pick one. Keep it simple..... A very enjoyable channel to watch.
Thanks again Mike
Really good review!
Thanks!
nicely done!
Thanks!
late to this 1 but amazing car and review, honest as always, thing is today all older cars are designed and made better with some exceptions, this is a fab example and a credit to the owner
Thanks!
This was probably the best example I ever could've hoped for. It's great to see a car with only two owners from new that has been cared for so well. It's little details such as the genuine Mercedes floor mats, the first-aid kit, and the tool kit that really make it the complete article.
You are absolutely right about the the 3 pointed star I used to own a 1988 300e it just doesn’t look the same on newer models where it’s incorporated in the grille
Although I'm not a massive fan of brand loyalty, that three-pointed star is something to behold. It's just wonderful to sit behind the wheel and gaze down the bonnet at the star while cruising.
Nice Vid great car I am looking for one as a bit of a project car here in cape Town.
Very interesting video. Impressive to discover such a young man knowing so much on cars. Keep going, you are a real car enthusiastic and we can feel it. Very good job!
Aww thanks mate ☺️
I like to think my videos are getting better, and this was nearly a year ago now!
Great vid i have 2 here in Cape Town a manual 200 thats almost mint and an auto 230e that needs a shock or 2 but drives really well. love them both. would honestly drive my 200 from here to Namibia( slowly) with no concerns.
Tengo uno con motor 250 sin duda es uno de los mejores y más hermosos autos fabricados.
Compiten en calidad con cualquier auto actual y diría que los supera.