This 1979 Mercedes-Benz 300TD shows history in Oklahoma and is currently offered for sale by the selling dealer in Costa Mesa, California. Finished in Ikon Gold Metallic (419) over a Palomino Leather (134) interior, power comes from a 3.0L diesel OM617 inline-five paired with a four-speed automatic transmission. Features include a painted sliding sunroof, automatic climate control, an original head unit, power windows, locks, a power antenna, and functioning SLS. Extensive service ecords are shown in the gallery below and included with the wagon. The odometer shows 142k miles and is noted as functional. This S123 is offered with factory literature, two keys, and a clean California title.
The car is finished in Ikon Gold Metallic (419) and features chrome-accented domestic-spec bumpers and trim, glass headlamps, a painted sliding sunroof, and an electrically adjustable radio antenna. The trim, bumpers, and door handles are reportedly original to the car along with brightwork shown in the photos. No rust is reported by the seller and the paint shows very well with even body panels and original glass. Detailed photos of the body can be seen in the gallery below.
Factory Bundt 14″ alloy wheels have been refinished and are equipped with Cambridge All-Season tires measuring 195/70 on all four corners. Braking is handled by rotors on all four corners.
The cabin features seats upholstered in Palomino Leather (134) with matching door panels, carpets, headliner, and lower dashboard. OEM Palomino floor mats are shown for all four footwells. The steering wheel and upper dashboard are trimmed in Black along with the shift knob and center console trim. Zebrano wood trim accents the dashboard and center console. Equipment includes automatic climate control with R134 converted air conditioning, power windows, and an original Becker head unit. Some wear is shown in the rear carpets around the load space and spare tire cover.
Instrumentation includes a 125-mph speedometer, a 6k-rpm tachometer, and an analog clock. Additional auxiliary gauges include coolant temperature, oil pressure, and fuel level which all function properly. The six-digit odometer shows just under 142k miles.
The 3.0-liter OM617 diesel inline-five features Bosch fuel injection from the factory. Power was factory rated at 87 horsepower and 127 lb-ft of torque and is sent to the rear wheels via a 722.3 four-speed automatic transmission. Records dating back to 1994 are shown in the gallery below and included with the wagon.
At the time of sale, the odometer shows 142k miles and is noted as functional. This S123 is offered with factory literature, extensive service records, two keys, and a clean California title.
With every OM617-powered car we get, we emphasize just how capable this engine and platform combo is of going the extra mile and in most cases we mean the extra million. While this example is sure to follow suit with thousands of others showing above average clicks on the odometer, it also reminds us how timeless and stylish the S123 can be, especially in a non-standard color. The enthusiasm around these cars is always overwhelming when one becomes available and we hope wherever this one ends up, it will be thoroughly enjoyed over many hundreds of thousands of miles more and cherished as the truly unique and special example it is.
Open Transit:
Enclosed Transit:
The winning bidder will receive an email with the quote and option to proceed with shipping.
Get the best of The MB Market directly in your inbox every day. Subscribe for a curated list of our top market listings and articles!
18 Comments
Thank you for making this so much fun, great car, better in person then photos depict ….$25,000 bid placed by @Rich145
$24,750 bid placed by @starlight3
$24,500 bid placed by @JPMPG
$24,000 bid placed by @Rich145
$23,750 bid placed by @JPMPG
$23,500 bid placed by @starlight3
$23,250 bid placed by @Rich145
$23,000 bid placed by @starlight3
$22,750 bid placed by @Rich145
$22,500 bid placed by @Banked
$22,250 bid placed by @Rich145
$22,000 bid placed by @Banked
@lieberino Yes this is the non turbo OM617 engine. Updated, thanks!Looks fairly clean under, thanks! I do see a wet oil pan, should hopefully be an easy fix. Hope the new owner does a full undercarriage detailing, esp with dry ice these old Benzes come back looking factory fresh, would match the rest of the car’s sparkling condition.Car is listed in the description as a Turbo Diesel but to the best of my knowledge pre 1981 cars are non-turbo. Please confirm.@HunterSieg20 @CarCrazy24 Thanks for your patience! We were able to get a few underbody photos added today.Underbody photos have been added to the gallery.Such a stunning color!$21,750 bid placed by @Rich145
$21,500 bid placed by @JPMPG
$20,500 bid placed by @Rich145
$20,250 bid placed by @starlight3
$20,000 bid placed by @LilMan
$19,750 bid placed by @Rich145
$19,500 bid placed by @LilMan
$18,250 bid placed by @JMR1
$17,750 bid placed by @Rich145
$17,500 bid placed by @LilMan
$15,250 bid placed by @Rich145
$15,000 bid placed by @JMR1
$14,250 bid placed by @Rich145
$14,000 bid placed by @robertoflay
Any undercarriage photos? I saw that CarCrazy24 mentioned that and I wonder also$13,750 bid placed by @Rich145
Live in newport may I see car$13,500 bid placed by @JMR1
Images of the accompanying service records with the car have been added to the gallery.Wannaallcars is spot on, my 81 TDT has been repainted twice, my home built in 84 repainted four times…. How paint is today important. I live 20 minutes from Quonset, entry point for Porsche, Audi, Bentley North East…. 20 guys in bodyshop fixing light damage before it gets to dealer…. Perfect work$12,250 bid placed by @KellyBee
Orig paint is so over talked about. Years ago when paint technology didnt match OEM it was a huge deal as there were failures and issues. With todays tech it is nearly impossible to detect painted panels and the quality and durability matches that of OEM so it is a non issue especially in a non high end collector car. One could always play with paint removal and film levels to have an undetectable mill level and finish. Paint condition is more important than originality here. Beauty!!The original window sticker and promotional catalog have been added to the gallery.Thanks for your questions. This is the original color of the car - Icon Gold Metallic (419). This was the color used in the Mercedes Benz catalog for the 300TD in 1979. Im sending the original window to verify this (along with the original catalog) so The MB Market can add it to the listing. I also have a tremendous number of records dating back to 1994 available for the car in a sleeved binder. The car is 43 years old so there's bound to have been at least some paintwork at some point, but this is 100% the original color of the car. Definitely a rare one! Everything works as intended and A/C is converted to R134. Thanks!$8,000 bid placed by @LilMan
Really nice car! I am also interested in whether the car was repainted and if so, what was the original color?Few questions: 1. Any undercarriage pictures? 2. Any recent major/minor servicing? 3. AC and heater both working? 4. All power items including windows, sunroof, locks, and antenna working correctly? Will be following!A beautiful example, pretty much perfect spec just missing the 3rd row. Was curious also about the paint, looks to have been repainted at some point. No big deal just curious.Nice car and interesting color! But, I found this statement curious because it seems to be leaving out a potential fact that the car was repainted at some point: "The trim, bumpers, and door handles are reportedly original to the car along with brightwork shown in the photos." So what's NOT original - the body's paint that these things attach to? Given the lower front valance's lip is body color and not factory black (best shown in pic 14), the car appears to have been repainted at some time. Not a huge deal, but an important fact to some that is missing from the description.