Mercedes-Benz W123

W123 shares technical similarities with its predecessors including engines, steering system, and suspension system. The design is updated with styling cues from its larger sibling, Mercedes-Benz W116, namely wider ribbed taillights, horizontal headlamps and front turn signal indicators on the outer edge, and pull-to-open door handles. The interior is revised with larger instrument panel, central round ventilation outlets, HVAC control panel, single row of control switches in the centre.

The instrument panel has three large gauges placed behind a single plastic cover. The manual HVAC control panel has three large dials with left and right dials for individual temperature control and centre dial for fan speed control. Air flow is controlled by two slides (left for upper zone and right for lower zone). If the optional air conditioning unit is ordered, a temperature roll dial is fitted to the row of control switches. The automatic HVAC control panel is simplified with single roll disc on the left for temperature control, a row of push buttons in the middle for directing the air flow and switching the system on and off, and a vertical set of button on the right for controlling the fan speed and switching automatic control on and off.

All models except 280, 280 E, and coupé feature larger round headlamps with smaller round fog lamps with large glass plate covering entire headlamp housing and acting as diffusing lens. This setup is same for the North American models with the sealed beam units and glass plate partially covering the headlamp housing. The 280, 280 E, and coupé models use large rectangular headlamps with round fog lamps. The headlamp washers and wipers set are optional.

Per Mercedes-Benz tradition (prior to the 1994 change), model designation corresponded to the engine displacement, chassis type (coupé or estate/station wagon), fuel type (for diesel engines only), and availability of fuel injection system (for petrol engines only):

• C for Coupé
• T for Tourismus und Transport (estate/station wagon)

No designation was given for the long-wheelbase: it was simply called "Lang" (long) in the brochures and order forms.

• D for Diesel
• E for Einspritzung (fuel injection)

When the diesel engine is turbocharged, TURBODIESEL is affixed to the right side of the boot lid.

As for the chassis codes, W123 is the saloon/sedan, S123 the estate/station wagon, C123 the coupé, V123 the long-wheelbase saloon/sedan a.k.a. Lang, and F123 refers to the bare long-wheelbase chassis as used for ambulances and other conversions.

All engines from W114/W115 are carried over. The single new engine was SOHC 2.5-litre M123 inline six. The 3-litre five-cylinder diesel engine received a proper nomenclature for W123, matching the engine displacement: 300 D instead of 240 D 3.0 on previous W114/W115.

In the autumn 1978, the power output was increased in 240 D from 65 PS (48 kW; 64 hp) to 72 PS (53 kW; 71 hp) and in the 280 E from 177PS to 185 PS. In early 1979, the power output rose from 55 PS (40 kW; 54 hp) to 60 PS (44 kW; 59 hp) for 200 D and from 80 PS (59 kW; 79 hp) to 88 PS (65 kW; 87 hp) for 300 D. 220 D was deleted from the model range for 1980.

In June 1980, the new M102 four-cylinder inline petrol engine replaced the M115. The 2-litre version was available with carburettor only while 2.3-litre version was available with fuel injection only. The carburetted version of 2.8-litre M110 engine in 280 and 280 C was discontinued in 1981, leaving 250 as sole carburetted six-cylinder inline engine.

The world's first turbocharged diesel engine for passenger vehicle, OM617 A was finally introduced in W123 models in September 1979, exclusive to 300 TD TURBODIESEL for European market. The same engine is offered in the North America and Japan in 1981 as 300 D TURBODIESEL, 300 CD TURBODIESEL, and 300 TD TURBODIESEL.[10]

1977 280E that won 1977 London–Sydney Marathon in MB Museum

One notable achievement was in the 28,200 km (17,500 mi)[11] 1977 London–Sydney Marathon road race, where the 280E won first and second, ahead of the third and fourth place Citroën CX. [12]

The standard and optional features are extensive along with larger number of engine and gearbox options. The customers could choose cloth, MB-Tex vinyl, velour, or leather material for the upholstery as well as interior wood trim for dashboard and centre console. The paint and interior colour palettes are extensive as well.

The driving dynamic enhancement options for extra cost became more extensive over the time: ABS (from August 1980 onward), self-locking differential gear, five-speed manual gearbox (introduced in 1982 for European market only), Tempomat cruise control system, power steering system (standard from 1982 onward), passenger-side external rear view mirror (standard on S123 model), "Alpine" horn with selectable loudness (popular in Switzerland due to strict noise regulations), retractable steering column (from 1982 onward), and so forth.

The extra cost options for creature comfort includes power windows (with cut-off switch for rear passenger door windows), vacuum-powered central locking system, sunroof (manual and electric), air conditioning system (manual or automatic control), seats with orthopaedic support, electrically heated seats (all seats are individually ordered), pre-heating system (for heating the passenger compartment at pre-selected time when the engine is not running), different assortment of radios with and without cassette players, rear seat head rests, etc. The W123 destined for North American market tend to have more optional features as standard, reflecting the American customer's preference for luxury accessories. For the first time in the executive saloon from Mercedes-Benz, W123 has the option of upgrading to full automatic climate control for extra cost if the customers choose to do so. This option is popular feature in the North American and Japanese markets. The rare option is a column gear selector that could be ordered with automatic gearbox if the customer wishes. The most expensive option was Becker radio telephone, selling for 13,512 Deutsche Mark.

In the estate/station wagon model, a third row rear-facing foldable seat was offered as an extra cost option.

Mercedes-Benz updated the W123 in incremental steps, calling them series:

• Series 0.5, November 1975 – July 1976
• First Series, August 1976 – July 1979
• Second Series, August 1979 – August 1982
• Third Series, September 1982 – January 1986

Changes to the second series (from August 1979):

• smaller steering wheel (10 mm) in a more elegant design
• modernized toggle switches with smoother edges (hazard lights, windows, etc.)
• pneumatic headlamp leveling system
• modified belt buckles and smaller headrests
• new fabric patterns for the seats

Mercedes-Benz W123 with passenger airbag

Changes to the third series (from September 1982):

• Rectangular headlights and power steering as standard for entire model range
• Molded front seat backrests for more knee freedom in the rear
• Cloth insert in the door panels
• Zebrano wood paneling in the dashboard
• Reduced wind noise due to improved roof trim strips
• Ventilation outlets are no longer chrome-plated
• Driver's Airbag available as optional equipment

For 1981 model year, the automatic climate control panel from W126 S-Class with simplified icon design was adopted. The new five-speed manual gearbox was introduced in February 1982 and was available in all models except 3-litre turbocharged diesel engine for Europe and elsewhere. This gearbox was only offered to North America via the grey market.

In September 1982, the driver's airbag with seat belt pre-tensioners for the passenger were offered as a 1,762.80 Deutsche Mark option for all models for 1983 model year onward.[13] Very few W123s had both driver and passenger air bags. The passenger air bag used a pyrotechnic gas discharge design, a world's first.

In these markets, only the following models were offered:[15]

Model	Years	Engine	Power	Torque
Petrol Engines
230	1977–1978	2.3 L M115 I4	93 hp (69 kW) at 4,800	125 lb⋅ft (169 N⋅m) at 2,500
280 E	1977–1979	2.8 L M110 fuel injected I6	142 hp (106 kW) at 5,750	149 lb⋅ft (202 N⋅m) at 4,600
	1980–1981		140 hp (104 kW) at 5,500	145 lb⋅ft (197 N⋅m) at 4,600
280 CE	1977–1979	2.8 L M110 fuel injected I6	142 hp (106 kW) at 5,750	149 lb⋅ft (202 N⋅m) at 4,600
	1980–1981		140 hp (104 kW) at 5,500	145 lb⋅ft (197 N⋅m) at 4,600
Diesel Engines
240 D	1977–1980	2.4 L OM616 I4	62 hp (46 kW) at 4,000	97 lb⋅ft (132 N⋅m) at 2,400
	1981–1985		67 hp (50 kW) at 4,000	97 lb⋅ft (132 N⋅m) at 2,400
300 D	1977–1981	3.0 L OM617.912 I5	77 hp (57 kW) at 4,000	115 lb⋅ft (156 N⋅m) at 2,400
300 CD	1978–1981
300 TD	1979–1980
300 D TURBODIESEL	1981–1985	3.0 L OM617 A I5 turbo	125 hp (93 kW) at 4,350	181 lb⋅ft (245 N⋅m) at 2,400
300 CD TURBODIESEL
300 TD TURBODIESEL

Mercedes-Benz W123 sedan (US)

Mercedes-Benz 300 CD TURBODIESEL coupe (US-version)

1977 Mercedes-Benz 230C manual transmission grey market import

1985 Mercedes-Benz 300TD Turbo Diesel estate

For the North American market, C123 (coupé) was available with both petrol (280 CE) and naturally aspirated diesel (300 CD) until 1981. For 1982 model year, 280 CE was dropped, and 300 CD TURBODIESEL was introduced as a sole engine offering for coupé model.

The estate/station wagon was available with a 3-litre five-cylinder inline OM617 diesel engine only. The naturally aspirated 300 TD was sold for two years (1979-1980) until the turbocharged 300 TD TURBODIESEL replaced it from autumn 1980 because consumers found the 300 TD to be too heavy and too slow with the less powerful engine.[16] 300 TD TURBODIESEL preceded 300 D TURBODIESEL and 300 CD TURBODIESEL by a few months.

The petrol engines (230, 280 E, and 280 CE) were offered from 1976 to 1980 model years. From 1981 until 1985, W123 models were sold only with diesel engines to comply with the federal regulation on corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) without paying heavy penalties.[17] The American consumers also preferred the diesel engines for lower fuel consumption after two oil crises and fuel shock of 1973 and 1979.

Four-speed manual gearboxes were offered with four-cylinder inline engines (2.3-litre M115 petrol and 2.4-litre OM616 Diesel) only. The new 5-speed manual gearboxes were never offered by Mercedes-Benz itself on the North American market.

The North American version of W123 differs from European version due to the US Department of Transportation automotive regulations along with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) automotive emission control regulations. Autoweek writes "the visual changes were on the mild side" compared to U.S. Models of the Mercedes-Benz R107 and Mercedes-Benz W116, which have been described by journalists as if a "beautiful car was beaten with the malaise ugly stick." [4][18]

Notable exterior differences included

• Larger and stronger bumpers that resist collision damage up to 5 mph
• Round sealed beam headlamp capsules and fog lamps; the large glass covers partially the housing. The fog lamps had clear lens until 1980 model year when they were tinted yellow
• Amber-coloured retroreflective markers on the front turn signal indicators which double as night illumination
• Red-coloured retroreflective markers at side edge of taillamps
• Location of ID-tag on A-pillar
• Emission control device for petrol engines only
• Radio with different frequency steps when tuning to different radio stations
• 85 mph maximum speedometer with 55 mph prominently marked
• Tinted glass band across the top of front windscreen
• If passenger side external rear view mirror is included, the mirror must carry the warning: "Vehicles are closer than they appear"

References

Notes

1. Oswald, Werner (2001). Deutsche Autos 1945–1990, vol.3. Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag. p. 99. ISBN 3-613-02131-5.
2. de Feijter, Tycho (8 May 2010). "FAW based Mercedes 200 in China". Car News China. Archived from the original on 20 February 2016.
3. Hutton, Ray, ed. (16 September 1978). "Autotest: Mercedes-Benz 200". Autocar. 149 (4271): 26–31.
4. JAY RAMEY (1 February 2016). "Mercedes W123 hits the big 4-0 The grandfather of the E-Class is still a daily driver all around the world". Autoweek.
5. Richarz, Hans-Robert (1 September 1976). "Sterntaler: Mercedes-Wagen zu Schwarzmarktpreisen" [Top Dollars: Mercedes cars at black market prices]. Auto, Motor und Sport (in German) (18): 8–9.
6. All dates in this paragraph according to: Oswald, Werner (2001). Deutsche Autos 1945–1990, vol. 3. Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag. pp. 96–111. ISBN 3-613-02131-5.
7. Perlas, Giancarlo (28 January 2016). "Mercedes-Benz W123 Celebrates Its 40th Anniversary". BenzInsider. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
8. <https://www.mercedes-fans.de/magazin/classic/wertanlage-mercedes-benz-230-ce-cabriolet-einmal-offen-immer-offen-gut-erhaltener-w123-baehr-cabrio-umbau.10477
9. "Mercedes W123 – som cabriolet!". Klassiker. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
10. "Preisliste W123 Nummer 28 ab 1 September 1979".
11. "The World's 10 Longest Auto Races". 6 February 2012. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
12. eWRC-results.com. "Singapore Airlines London-Sydney Marathon 1977 - results eWRC-results.com". eWRC-results.com. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
13. "W123 Preisliste Nr. 36 gültig ab 01.09.1982 (W123 Price List Number 36 in effect from 1 September 1982" (in German).
14. de Feijter, Tycho (12 October 2012). "China Car History: the Benz-like vehicles of Bamin Automobile". Car News China. Archived from the original on 11 June 2019.
15. Mike Covello: Standard Catalog of Imported Cars 1946–2002. Krause Publications, Iola 2002, ISBN 0-87341-605-8, p. 539-43.
16. Hogg, Tony (ed.). "1981 Buyer's Guide". Road & Track's Road Test Annual & Buyer's Guide 1981 (January–February 1981): 107.
17. "Four Sports Coupes", Road & Track's Road Test Annual & Buyer's Guide 1979, Greenwich, CT: CBS Publications, pp. 161–162, January–February 1979
18. Tyler Hoover (9 February 2017). "A Tale of Two Mercedes: When the Grey Market Made U.S.-Spec Cars Compete With Euro Models". Autotrader.

Bibliography

• Buckley, Martin; Cosovich, Mark (2014). Mercedes-Benz W123: the Finest Saloon Car of the 20th Century?. Independent Publishing Network. ISBN 9781782803720.
• Parish, Julian (2018). Mercedes-Benz W123: All models 1976 to 1986. Essential Buyer's Guide series. Dorchester, Dorset, UK: Veloce Publishing. ISBN 9781845849269.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mercedes-Benz W123.

• W123 production figures
• W123 specifications and prices
• W123 Club España
• W123 production information, technical data, and media of the Mercedes-Benz Classic Digital Archive