This 1980 Mercedes-Benz 280TE is a European market car that was reportedly imported in the early 80's from Germany and now shows 130k miles. It was last sold on The MB Market to the current seller in May of 2024. The car has spent time in Louisiana, Mississippi, and most recently Michigan since import and was previously part of a collection of other grey-market imports. Finished in Classic White (737) over Palomino Fabric (034), power is provided by a gasoline powered 2.8-liter DOHC inline-six mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. Equipment includes central locking, factory roof rails, sliding sunroof, and heated front seats. Service performed under prior ownership was extensive and the current owner reports nearly $8k was spent in addition to what was done before. Most recently the seller addressed corrosion remediation, new SLS shocks, a rebuilt steering box, a NOS driver mirror, two NOS visors, new OEM cross bars, a new heater core, various hoses and lines, and a new windshield. Prior service included all fresh fluids, a cleaning of the fuel system, new spark plugs, distributor cap, rotor, air filters, drive belts, brake master cylinder, calipers, rotors, pads, voltage regulator, battery, and tires. This 280TE wagon is now offered for sale by the current owner in Saugatuck, Michigan with the owner's manual, warning triangle, first aid kit, and clean Michigan title.
The exterior is finished in Classic White (737) 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, a sunroof, heat-insulating glass and a heated rear window. New OEM cross bars were recently sourced and the seller addressed rust remediation in the wheel arches.
The factory 14” Bundt wheels wear Toyo Eclipse tires measuring 205/70 on all four corners with 2021 date codes. The optional alloy wheels show some imperfections commensurate with the mileage. A full service in 2023 included installation of the tires along with a new brake master cylinder, calipers, rotors, pads, and all rubber lines. A brake fluid flush was also performed and wheel bearings were re-packed at the same time. More recently new SLS rear shocks have been installed and work as intended.
The interior is upholstered in Palomino Fabric (034) with Zebrano wood trim accenting the dashboard. Interior amenities include central locking, a lockable glove compartment, an aftermarket head unit, 60/40 split-folding rear seats for through-loading, sliding sunroof, and heated front seats. A full-size spare is located in the cargo compartment with the factory cover. New-old-stock visors and a rear view mirror have been sourced and installed.
The four-spoke steering wheel fronts VDO instrumentation including a 150-mph speedometer, an analog clock and gauges for fuel level, coolant temperature and oil pressure. The six-digit odometer reads 130,291 miles, approximately 500k of which have been added by the seller since acquisition in 2024.
This S123 is powered by a 2.8-liter DOHC inline-six rated at 185 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed automatic transmission. The following maintenance items have been performed under prior ownership and were previously documented as well.
This 280TE wagon is now offered for sale by the current owner in Saugatuck, Michigan with the owner's manual, warning triangle, first aid kit, and clean Michigan title.
Two years after selling on The MB Market, this 1980 Mercedes-Benz 280TE returns to us as the W123 market continues to gain momentum. Across the C123, S123, and W123 range, interest has grown steadily, with wagons leading much of that charge. While Mercedes-Benz built roughly 2.7 million W123s during the model’s production run, only about 200,000 were estates, making the longroof cars a much smaller and increasingly sought-after piece of the story. Among them, the European-market 280TE remains one of the most desirable variants we never received in the United States. Its free-revving, high-compression M110 inline-six gives the car a noticeably livelier personality than the diesel W123s American buyers are more accustomed to, while still retaining the durability and usability that helped make the chassis legendary. The W123 is often regarded as one of the most robust Mercedes-Benz models ever built, and this example benefits from relatively extensive recent servicing that helped wake it from prior slumber. Cars like this are meant to be used and enjoyed, and this 280TE returns as exactly that kind of car: an engaging, practical, and guilt-free driver that can continue to be enjoyed for decades to come.
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1 Comments
Wow! Beautiful.