This 1983 Mercedes-Benz 300SD was purchased by the current owner in 1988 with 37k miles at the time. It shows New York registration while primarily residing in Florida for 38 years receiving regular servicing and climate controlled storage. Now showing 187k miles, the owner’s added approximately 150k miles over 38 years. Finished in Black (040) over Gray Leather (278), this sedan is powered by a 3.0-liter turbodiesel inline-five paired with a four-speed automatic transmission. Features include a power sunroof, power windows, power mirrors, automatic climate control, and an upgraded Becker head unit with the original Becker head unit included. The original service booklet shows completed service stamps through 105k miles. Additionally the Carfax report shows 35 documented service visits including a thorough inspection in 2025. The coinciding service included a coolant flush, transmission flush, a new fuel filter, a new air filter, engine mounts, exhaust hangars, new tires, and a new battery. This 300SD shows 187k miles and is offered by the current owner with factory literature, a Carfax report, and a clean New York title.
The car is finished in Black (040) with contrasting gray lower body cladding. Exterior features include Euro-market single-lens headlamps, rear heated glass, a power antenna, a power sunroof, and a right-hand power side mirror. Detailed photos of the exterior are included in the gallery and the seller reports the body to be rust-free and damage-free.
Factory 14″ wheels wear 205/70 Hankook tires showing 2024 date codes. Braking is handled by disc brakes at all four corners and a spare full-size wheel and tire is stored in the trunk. New front pads and rotors were installed in 2025 at the same time as the tires.
The cabin is trimmed in Gray Leather (278) with color-coordinated trim, carpets, and lower dashboard. The steering wheel, shift knob, and upper dashboard are trimmed in black and remain original. Original Zebrano wood adorns the dashboard, center console, and door card trim. Some cracks are noted in the veneer along with some fading from time. Factory features include a power-operated sunroof, central locking, power seats and windows, and an updated Becker head unit. The original Becker head unit will be included in the sale.
A four-spoke airbag steering wheel frames a 80-mph/140kph speedometer, a 6k-RPM tachometer with an inset analog clock, an external temperature readout, and a combination gauge showing fuel level, coolant temperature, and oil pressure. The six-digit analog odometer shows 187k original miles.
The 3.0-liter OM617 turbodiesel inline-five was factory-rated for 120 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque when new. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed automatic transmission. The original service booklet shows completed service stamps through 105k miles. Additionally the Carfax report shows 35 documented service visits including a thorough inspection in 2025. The coinciding service included a coolant flush, transmission flush, a new fuel filter, a new air filter, engine mounts, exhaust hangars, new tires, and a new battery. Photos of the service booklet are included in the gallery.
This 38-Years Owned 300SD shows 187k miles and is offered by the current owner with factory literature, a Carfax report, and a clean New York title.
The seller has included the following videos:
For the longest time, the OM617A powered W126 S-Class was regarded as a diesel chugging piece of metal that was birthed in response to the fuel crisis of the ‘70s for the North American market. They were used as shoe-string commuter vehicles in the mid 2000's during the rising prices of gasoline during the Global War on Terror. Only recently have these come into vogue with the rise of Saccoism and as retaliation to the proliferation of technological complication in new cars as OEs embed planned obsolescence into every facet of the modern automobile. Gearheads are now seeing how precious these cars are as everything can be serviced, rebuilt, and kept on the road for not a lot of money. The cat is finally getting out of the bag on the W126 as good engineering becomes timeless. The only device tougher and more reliable than a 300SD is a blacksmith's anvil and this car is probably a great example of that analogy.
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24 Comments
$12,000 bid placed by @ctc33
$11,250 bid placed by @JB1980
$11,000 bid placed by @ctc33
$10,050 bid placed by @JB1980
$9,750 bid placed by @HealeyUp
$9,500 bid placed by @JB1980
$9,000 bid placed by @HealeyUp
$8,750 bid placed by @Sinking5
$8,500 bid placed by @HealeyUp
$8,250 bid placed by @JB1980
$8,000 bid placed by @ProdigalPetrolHead
@JLR1967 I don’t have any receipts from a repair in 2012. My guess is it was very minor. Carfax shows it as damage and not an accident, just want to be clear on that. Thanks$7,750 bid placed by @Sinking5
Are there more details on the damage repair in 2012?$7,500 bid placed by @ctc33
$6500 for this beauty is nuts. SB 3X that.I’m here for any last minute questions. Good luck biddingThank you very much for info. That's very helpful...@walawson I spoke to the current owner and it wasn’t being driven as much the last 8 years hence the rather in depth recent service. Before that it was only driven periodically in the summer months. So his guess is an additional 10-15k miles. I hope this helps. ThanksBeautiful 300SD! I apologize in advance if I missed it, but the last recorded mileage before the last service on 10/6/2025, was on 7/3/2012 and the mileage recorded was 186,859 as per Carfax. And according to the repair document, it states that the odometer was not working, but it was repaired. During this interim period, do you have an idea of when the odometer ceased working or an estimate of an average annual mileage was loggedd during this period. Sorry for the long question, but just trying to get an idea of the estimated actual mileage... Thanks and best wishes... Bill$6,500 bid placed by @Amperales
$5,750 bid placed by @jframp
Also a picture was added of a 1st place trophy from Starfest Mid-Ohio Mercedes Benz concours d’elegance.The recent invoice added in the gallery consisted of brake caliper, brake hose, brake pads, door lock motor, window switches, AC service, fuel filter, air filter, exhaust hangers, engine and transmission mounts, AGM battery, 4 tires, and coolant flush and a few other little things. As you can see no expense was spared.Photos of the last major service records have been uploaded.$5,500 bid placed by @Browndog20
$5,250 bid placed by @dennyleeb
Additional photos have been added to the gallery.$5,000 bid placed by @jframp
@Oddjob thanks! No longer with Vanzetti I assume@acewert3 Brino Sacco. The recently deseased designer of this and other frames@dennyleeb sunroof and AC work great! Everything is in working order. It just had a pretty big service , I will have the invoice uploaded as well. ThanksSunroof work as it should?, AC? Anything inop?$4,750 bid placed by @dennyleeb
$4,500 bid placed by @Browndog20
$4,250 bid placed by @dennyleeb
Yes that answers my questions! I know they need the hoses replaced for all the things to work more consistently. Thank you@Sdflowers I’ve sent photos to be uploaded of the jack points. Look for them in the next few days. By vacuum lines are you talking about the vacuum door locks ? The door lock motor was just replaced during the last extensive visit. Thanks$4,000 bid placed by @JB1980
$3,500 bid placed by @dennyleeb
How do the common rust point look? Example being the rocker panels, jack points? And has this ever had any vacuum line work? Transmission ever been worked on?What is Saccoism?@Iannic1234 undercarriage photos have been added to the gallery.$1,829 bid placed by @Browndog20
@Iannic1234 yes I will later tonight. ThanksCan you provide some pictures of the undercarriage?$1,579 bid placed by @Lfuselier
$1,200 bid placed by @lsnead39
@Boatymcboatface thank you! The paint seems to be original. The front seats have been reupholstered in quality leather. They look and feel nice.Very nice. Is that original paint and interior surfaces?$468 bid placed by @Lfuselier