This 1984 Mercedes-Benz 280TE is a European market car that was imported when new to California in 1984 from the factory in Stuttgart and now shows 273k miles. Finished in Champagne Metallic (154) over Palomino MB-Tex (473), power is provided by a gasoline powered 2.8-liter DOHC inline-six mated to a 5-speed manual transmission driving the rear wheels. Equipment includes central locking, automatic climate control, power windows, split-folding rear seats, rear facing trunk seats, and a 5-speed transmission. Recent service included an oil change, new throttle shackle, and steering box adjustment. This example is accompanied with maintenance booklet stamps dating back to 1986. This 280TE wagon is now offered for sale by the selling dealer in Burlingame, California with the original manufacturer’s literature, decades of stamped service history, a clean Carfax report, and clean California title.
The exterior is finished in Champagne Metallic (154) and features European spec bumpers and headlights including OEM roof cross bars. Chrome brightwork adorns both bumpers and beltline along with chrome roof rails, grill and mirror caps. Exterior features include headlight washers, heat-insulating glass and a heated rear window. The seller notes that the car retains 60% of its original paint with miscellaneous spot repairs over the years. A few scratches and rock chips can be seen around the car as detailed in the gallery. The rear bumper apron has a scratch along the driver side, and no body rust is present.
The factory 14” Bundt wheels wear Michelin Defender tires measuring 195/70 on all four corners with 2018 date codes. The optional alloy wheels appear in excellent condition along with the lug bolts showing no curb rash or damage. The car is stopped with four caliper-over-rotor ATE disk brakes. A full size spare is fitted in the trunk with a Michelin Defender tire matching the rest of the set mounted on the car.
The interior is upholstered in Palomino MB-Tex (473) with Zebrano wood trim accenting the center console and dashboard. Interior amenities include central locking, a lockable glove compartment, four power windows, an aftermarket Alpine head unit, 60/40 split-folding rear seats for through-loading, rear facing foldable seats, and the factory optioned double roller blind. The wood trim remains glossy with almost no cracks in the veneer. The seller also notes the rear passenger window regulator is noisy and slow, and the passenger vanity mirror light and analog clock are inoperable. A complete set of Coco-Mats adorn the interior including the expensive trunk piece.
The four-spoke steering wheel fronts VDO instrumentation including a 150-mph speedometer, a 7k-rpm tachometer, an analog clock and gauges for fuel level, fuel economy, coolant temperature and oil pressure. The six digit odometer reads 273k miles.
This S123 is powered by a 2.8-liter DOHC inline-six rated at 185 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque. A rare factory 5-speed manual transmission sends power to the rear wheels and is numbers matching to the car. The engine compartment shows proof of an extensive engine service. The valve cover is polished and coated, vacuum pump appears recently serviced, the Nissens radiator looks newer, radiator hose is fresh, and the A/C has R134a caps. A new hood pad has been installed. In May of 2023, the selling dealer performed a minor service including oil/filter changes, steering box adjustment, and a replaced throttle shackle. The factory maintenance book shows stamps dating back to 1986 is included with the vehicle.
The seller has included underbody photos that are viewable in the photo gallery showcasing extensive factory cosmoline present, new passenger side axle boots, replaced flexdisks, serviced power steering box, Bilstein front struts, new idler shocks, steering damper, and center drag link. Thrust arm bushings show in good condition.
The Carfax report first shows mileage reported in 2001 at 198k miles and shows registration in California and Washington with no accidents or damage reports. This Euro 280TE 5-speed is now offered by the selling dealer with a factory stamped service booklet dating back to 1986, first aid kit, complete custom Coco-Mats, a clean Carfax report, and a clean California title.
Videos provided by the seller below provide a start up and thorough driving footage of the car.
The C/S/W123 market is on the rise with wagons being the spearhead on that front. With 2.7 million W123s built during their nine year production run, only 200,000 were estates with this particular spec being a unicorn itself. This 1984 280TE is the hottest variant made that we never got in the United States. The European free flowing, high compression M110 is a ripper compared to the OM diesel counterparts Americans were so used to. Paired with a 5-speed manual transmission, this car will scoot while also behaving like a gentleman on the highway. High mileage on a classic Mercedes-Benz is a moot point when cars demonstrate high-level services throughout their lives. Buyers need to steer their attention towards the mechanicals on cars like this, especially considering the W123 chassis is arguably the most robust model ever produced in Mercedes-Benz history. The engine bay photos and undersides are the most important here. Using automotive archaeology, the photos of this car are proof it has been taken care of and will nurture whoever wins it for decades to come. The almost $700 in Coco-Mats, complete interior, included factory cross bars and double roller blind certainly helps make this example incredibly desirable for drivers that enjoy and use these classics.
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21 Comments
Thanks to all for the great comments and bidding. We're a bit short here so marketing will continue. For those also interested in an investment grade 1995 E320 wagon, my 57k mile Teal example is live on The MB Market as well. About 24 hours to go.$19,530 bid placed by @Skyflyer
$19,280 bid placed by @TheMBManiac
$19,000 bid placed by @GTrent
$18,280 bid placed by @TheMBManiac
$18,030 bid placed by @Skyflyer
$17,780 bid placed by @TheMBManiac
$17,530 bid placed by @Skyflyer
$17,280 bid placed by @TheMBManiac
$17,030 bid placed by @Skyflyer
$16,780 bid placed by @TheMBManiac
$16,530 bid placed by @Skyflyer
$16,280 bid placed by @TheMBManiac
$16,000 bid placed by @GTrent
$15,500 bid placed by @zoccierampqt
$15,250 bid placed by @Mkte
@hobbsm3 Thanks for the note. My sentiments completely, these are wonderful touring cars.@mbheritage - what a special car! I should know - I have an 85 280TE with the factory 5 speed as well. The Euro bumpers, the nimble motor and rowing through the gears make these wagons come alive. Good luck to the next caretaker of this ultimate S123!$15,000 bid placed by @zoccierampqt
Morning All. It's the last day to acquire this extremely rare 280TE 5-speed wagon. If you miss this car, it will quite likely be a long time before another one comes to market. The new owner will have a unicorn in the 123 wagon realm. Feel free contact me with any last minute questions. The car will be sold as-is with no warranty implied or otherwise. Non-dealer California buyers will pay appropriate sales tax/license fees. The new owner will receive all the documents shown in the auction images. The car is located at my gallery in Burlingame, CA - 5 minutes south of SFO. I can assist with shipping and I'm happy to store the car as we wait for a trucker. Bidders should refresh their browser regularly to insure they see the latest bids. And any bidder that is new to the live online auction scene should know any bid placed within the last 2 minutes of the auction resets the timer to 2 minutes. Good luck to all!$14,000 bid placed by @GTrent
@DrAMG Yes, I believe the modifications were reversed by J.G. Francis of Mercedes Motoring when he acquired the car. And I agree that it was a shame that this drivetrain configuration was not offered in the US.Photos of the stamped maintenance booklet have been added to the gallery.I have a sweet spot for the 280TE. Approximately 20k units were produced worldwide. This is the top of the line model, although some argue the 300TDT is, but performance-wise, this is the car. It’s a shame we never got these cars in the US, and it’s hard to compare the Euro spec motor to the lethargic and lower compression US variant M110. Very few were privately imported and are still around. I noticed this car appears to have had an AMG kit at one point. You can see the outlines and holes in the body where it was once attached. Is this the same 280TE that was for sale several years back with the AMG kit and Centra wheels?@zoccierampqt Thanks for the note. AC works nicely. Negligible leaks of any kind at the moment. Town an county horn also functions nicely.Hi - can you confirm if the AC is working? - also, any leaks?$13,123 bid placed by @Boostin
Proof that mileage and age is just a number. Someone has cared for this thing like family.$12,000 bid placed by @zoccierampqt
$9,500 bid placed by @Boostin
The level of coolness is off the chart here. Rowing through 5 gears in a longroof 123 with the sunroof open and sunglasses on.$8,500 bid placed by @GTrent
@thembmarket Duh, I didn't realize it was gas and not diesel when I asked for a blow by video. Thank you though. Can you comment about the A/C - works well, blows cold?A cold start and driving video have been added to the listing along with a photo of a compression test in the gallery.@shervinator Thanks for the tip on license plate. We don't have the European maintenance booklet. The US booklet is interesting in that it confirms the car's early arrival in the US. First stamp is for the 1k mile service performed at 1,022 miles on 9-22-84 in Northern California. Carpets were clearly replaced at some time and done extremely well. Probably done when MB Motoring acquired the car. And for what it's worth, there are 2 notations in the history binder of a "complete bottom up engine rebuild including blue printing at 180k miles." However, there is no repair order on file noting the rebuild. This is entirely probable based on the recent compression check and the excellent oil pressure I see as I drive the car.@keller And to all; I just submitted a cold start video and a road test video and the compression check repair order to my friends at The MB Market. They should be live within 24 hours. Compression check was excellent at 120 lbs each cylinder stone cold. Hope all this helps.Very nice GlwsAmazed at how this has 273k miles despite looking so mint. That interior looks fresh! Are the carpets new? I'd expect the originals to fade after so many miles and years. Pro-tip from a fellow grey-market Mercedes owner: look inside the first couple of pages of the Maintenance Booklet and/or Owner's Manual, and you're likely to see the original European license plate number written down. In this case, it would probably be a Danish license plate since the car was ordered in Denmark. It'd be great to have replicas made and put on for shows, since the car is so close to original otherwise.@keller Will provide those shortly.$7,500 bid placed by @Boostin
$6,500 bid placed by @BenzClassic
How about a cold start video and a blow-by video, please?Incredible spec to find! Any classic wagon with a 5-speed manual is automatically the coolest of cool.$5,000 bid placed by @GTrent
Welcome to my 1984 Mercedes-Benz 280TE 5-speed auction. As many of you know, this is an exceedingly rare 123 wagon in the US. None were formally imported by Mercedes-Benz. I've been in the classic Mercedes-Benz business for 34 years and it's only the 2nd one I've found. This car combines all the best elements you could wish for in a 123 wagon: The full Euro look with tidy bumpers and flush headlamps The high compression Euro market 2.8 liter M110 twin cam six cylinder Factory sunroof, roof rack with original cross bars, 3rd seat, cargo shade/net Alloy wheels and the ultra-rare 5 speed manual gearbox. All these items are on the original build sheet. And crucially for California buyers, the car is certified here and has its all-important BAR compliance sticker. You can inspect the car at my gallery in Burlingame, CA - 5 minutes from SFO. Feel free to contact me with any questions.