For sale is my 1983 Mercedes 230E, from an era where style, comfort and chrome bumpers were foremost. It is an honest car and it is a pleasure to drive. It just ticked over 177,000 kilometres which is an average of only 4,000 a year. It was daily driven but is now on historic registration and used on weekends and has been really reliable. It is almost startling how fast the car turns on, almost as if it's happy to go for a drive. I purchased it from the Des Leonard family 5 years ago (the Australian racing driver), who were the original owners and always garaged it where they lived in Wagga Wagga. Therefore it does not have an extensive documented service record as most of the servicing would have been done by him. When starting the car the oil pressure rises straight away which is a sure sign that the engine has been serviced regularly and is in great health. With regular servicing these cars have been known to surpass the 500,000 kilometre milestone and are the most reliable W123 variant. Whilst I have owned the car it has had the front and rear brakes rebuilt, the fuel accumulator, engine mounts, thermostat and thermostat housing, water pump and all fluids/filters replaced. The interior is in brilliant condition, with no tears in any of the seats or any sagging door trims etc. It always gets comments at the car shows I attend, such as “this is how a car should look”. A few things to note for this 43 year old car. - The aircon has been regassed and was working then it leaked out so the system will need an overhaul. - There is a slow power steering leak. - The Hirschmann antenna/radio does not work, which is a common fault. - The paint on the bonnet has fine cracks throughout, but still shines nicely. - When idling in traffic it gets warm (~90 °C), I just turn the A/C on which drives the front fan and cools it down. The only remaining parts to assess are the clutch fan and the radiator, the rest of the cooling system has been replaced. Best to come and inspect and drive it for yourself. This would suit someone who enjoys the classic Mercedes-Benz drive and comfort for an affordable price, but is mechanically inclined to perfect the experience and sort out some of the mentioned flaws. It is currently on historic registration so will be sold unregistered.
