CLASSIC | Why you should buy a Mercedes-Benz W123

There are many automotive legends from yesteryear that we South Africans covet and strive to keep alive. The famed Mercedes-Benz W123 is one of them.

Mzansi is known for bestowing colourful nicknames upon beloved vehicles.

"My father was rich" is among interesting descriptors reserved for the old German sedan.

Ostensibly because of the status the car held in its prime years, as a premium product whose owners had discerning tastes and, of course, a bit of disposable income.

According to a March 1984 copy of Car magazine, the top-of-the-range W123, the 280E, carried a new price tag of R22,776. At the time, a Toyota Corolla GLS Sprinter cost almost half that at just under R10,000.

Aside from its legendary build quality, refinement levels that were groundbreaking for the era and charmingly elegant aesthetic, local admiration for the W123 can also be attributed to its domestic manufacture.

Yes, the sturdy Mercedes-Benz was produced on home soil, at the long-standing German manufacturer's plant in East London.

So with all of this respectability abounding for the model, you might have been contemplating getting your own example of what is a timeless classic car.

Perhaps the account that follows might be of use in your journey towards W123 ownership. I recently rolled the dice on my very own 230E, a 1984 vintage.

I should also mention that the car has around 529,000km on the odometer. Also, it is the less popular manual variety of the breed. Most people understandably opted for the automatic. My partiality to the row-your-own derivative is for reasons of longevity. A manual gearbox is less complicated after all.

This was not my first experience in classic Mercedes-Benz ownership. Back in 2021 I had a W124 200 (also a manual). But the encounter was a baptism of fire: I had not done my homework properly, which resulted in me choosing a car that ended up needing quite a bit of work. We learn our lessons.

I found the W123 for sale on Facebook's marketplace and while it looked a bit worse for wear in the advertisement, I felt compelled to check it out. Glad I did, because despite its dusty exterior (the car was parked for an extended period) and missing wheel covers, the car presented well in person.

After putting in a fresh battery and some fuel, it started up without hesitation and settled down to a smooth idle. The quietness was remarkable for a car with such mileage. Also impressive was how decent the interior looked. These cars were known for being over-engineered and you can see that in various cabin details.

Aside from a few dashboard cracks and a tear on the driver's side seat bolster, the inside looked fairly neat and just needed a deep clean to bring back some of that original freshness.

Driving it around the block, the 230E felt reasonably taut, despite its age and mileage. Definitely gave the impression of a car worth saving and so, I decided to take it on.

The seller included that new battery, a basic oil service and a check-over to ensure it would get me home. Luckily, the essentials were in good fettle, including brake discs in a good state of service and meaty pads.

I also bought a set of new tyres as the ones fitted were old enough to legally vote.

Obviously, I was prepared for certain remedial work on the horizon: you cannot expect to buy a 40-year-old car with astronomical mileage that has been standing for a bit, then run it without hassle from day one.

Cosmetically, the body of my W123 appeared straight, but there are three areas that would need addressing at some point. First is a tiny spot of rust at the rear windscreen left corner, which seems to be a common weak point. Secondly, some haphazard repairs were done to the rear left fender, involving pop-rivets. And lastly, the front lower grille section needs to be replaced.

One very crucial word of advice is that, if you plan to buy a W123 – or any old car – be sure to find the right mechanic. A thorough, meticulous workshop is always great, but even better is a specialist with particular knowledge. Luckily, because the W123 was such a high volume car, there remains a good number of expert hands and parts sources for the vehicle.

After spending a bit more time with my W123 it was clear that it would need some attention in the cooling department. Instead of maintaining a chilled 80-degree temperature, the car went all the way to the 100-degree market, which was worrying. I also noticed a rattle from the exhaust. The workshop visit was expedited when an oily patch was found on the floor by the right front wheel.

Turned out that the brake caliper was leaking. This was refurbished. The radiator on the car was beyond repair, so a functional second-hand unit was sourced. The exhaust rattle was traced to a rotten silencer.

But wait, there is more. As there usually is when it comes to classic cars. It needed new front ball joints and rear stabiliser links. The propshaft coupling and bearing were both shot, requiring fresh items.

There were leaks from the differential and steering box – both rectified with fresh gaskets and seals. Lastly, the front right-side tie-rod was changed, as was a right-side CV rubber boot. These are all parts that are relatively inexpensive, but of course you need to factor in the cost of expertise for labour and fitment.

After all that work, I got a full interior valet and the grime that was extracted from the carpets was pretty disgusting. I also washed the MB-Tex vinyl upholstery down, which really freshened up the cabin. Lastly, the original wheel covers went on (the seller included them in the boot).

Now we should talk about prices. And the beauty of a W123 is that there are still enough of them out there, for ownership prospects to be realistic for varying budgets.

I mean, you can easily go out and find a pristine, concourse example for almost R200,000. Or you can find a tatty one that needs some love, for under R35,000. Well under in some instances.

Good thing is that the inherent mechanics and build of the W123 are solid – in the best case scenario you will only need to replace wear and tear items to get your car running well.

Say you found a decent example for R40,000 and spent a further R15,000 getting it to where it needs to be.

That is still much, much less than a year's worth of instalments and insurance on even the cheapest new car in the country.

Obviously, not everyone will want to dally a W123. If you are viewing it as a weekend special, a classic investment for occasional use, you are still likely to get your money back should you decide to sell.

There is no doubt that the Mercedes-Benz W123 will always be desirable. And its appeal will just keep growing over time, like all true classics.