This 1983 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT was ordered new in Germany by B. Schwarzer - an emigrating German-Canadian citizen - as an Option Code 820 “Toursiten-Fahrzeuge” or “Tourist Vehicle” for duty-free import to Canada. It was purchased by the long-term owner Milton R. on September 11, 1984 with delivery miles only for $36,500 ($90k today) and remained in his possession for 35 years until being acquired by the current owner in Fall 2019. Finished in Petrol Green Metallic (877) over Mushroom (255) leather interior, power is provided by a 3.0-liter turbodiesel inline-five mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. Equipment includes heated front seats, a mechanical sunroof, chrome roof rails, OEM Mercedes chrome crossbars, factory European headlamps, factory NAS bumpers, Bosch yellow foglamps, Rial mesh wheels, Zebrano horn pad & shift knob, a rear cargo area sisal Cocomat, power windows, cruise control, air conditioning, heated rear glass, and the original Becker Mexico head unit. Service in 2021 includes new valve cover gaskets, new tie rod ends, new Continental tires and an SLS to rear spring suspension conversion. The car is accompanied by seven sequential, annualized binders containing approximately 1,200 pages of sleeved paper records from 1984-2021 totaling over $80k in service and repairs. Records show that the engine was rebuilt twice in 1999 & 2013 and the transmission was rebuilt twice in 2000 & 2007 and virtually every mechanical component has been replaced or rebuilt on this car at least once. This remarkable S123 shows 537,700 Km (333k miles) and is now offered by the seller with a recent Carfax report, two keys, seven binders of records, the original 1984 newspaper clipping advertising the car for sale, the original handwritten bill of sale, two separate stamped service bookets w/37 stamped entries, original hang tags, original break-in instruction tag from MB, OEM sales brochures, OEM Tourist Vehicle manual, manufacturer’s literature, two Mercedes-Benz “High Mileage” award certificates, and a clean Delaware title.
The car is finished in Petrol Green Metallic (877) from the factory and has previously been the subject of a long form article on The MB Market. Features include chrome-accented NAS bumpers, European Headlamps, roof rails, OEM crossbars, bosch yellow fog lights, a power-retractable antenna, and anodized aluminum trim. The front end underwent a repaint in its original Petrol Green Metallic for $4,250 following an accident in 2004 according to the records. The front end appears factory straight with clean, level and even hood and fender lines throughout. Receipts showing that the chrome brightwork was completely re-plated in 2002 is viewable in the records library. The rubber and chrome on the NAS bumpers are in excellent condition and close-ups are viewable in the galleries below.
This example features an extremely rare specification from the factory that is exists on no other 300TDT: The car is equipped with US-Spec bumpers (option code 491), but has factory Euro Headlights and a Km/H instrument cluster specific to Canadian destination vehicles (Option Code 463) as a Touristen-fahrzeuge (Option Code 820/Tourist Vehicle). A copy of the datacard is provided showing these specific option codes.
Factory 14″ steel wheels were replaced under long-term ownership with 16” Rial mesh wheels which are wrapped in Continental ContiPro Sport Contact tires measuring 205/55 all around; the tires were replaced in 2021 and show 2021 date codes. The car features power-assisted disc brakes front and rear and the front tie rod ends were replaced in 2021. This 300TDT was originally equipped with a hydraulic self-leveling rear suspension from the factory and that has been replaced with a rear spring conversion by the seller in 2021. An invoice for the above items is viewable in the gallery.
The cabin features seats and door panels trimmed in rare Mushroom (255) leather upholstery, while Zebrano wood trim accents the dashboard, center stack, and center console. Equipment includes power windows, a manually-operated sunroof, cruise control, automatic climate control, and the original Becker Mexico cassette stereo. The zebrano wood trim shows remarkably well with no major cracks or delamination visible and close up photos are viewable in the gallery. The A/C has been converted to R134a under previous ownership and works well.
A four-spoke steering wheel frames a 200-kmh speedometer, a clock, and a combination gauge. The six-digit mechanical odometer shows approximately 537k Km (333k miles), 1,000 of which were added by the seller since 2019. The cruise control is reportedly inoperable.
The original 3.0-liter OM617 turbodiesel inline-five was rebuilt twice under prior ownership in 1999 and 2013 including new valves, rings, bearings, pistons and sleeves according to the records. The fuel injection system was rebuilt in 2002 and, as documented in the records, virtually every major mechanical component on this vehicle has been repaired, rebuilt or replaced at least once over the past 39 years.
The Carfax report shows that the car was repurchased from the prior owner’s insurance company in 2004 following an accident when values for 300TDTs were not strong. The vehicle has since been driven over 140K kilometers without issue and extensive service to the car both pre-and post-accident has been exhaustively documented. The accident report, insurance documents and the rest of the car’s history is thoroughly documented in the car's voluminous records.
A small, abbreviated selection of records from each of the seven records binders is viewable in the linked .pdf files below. Click the link above the appropriate image for the binder volume to view the .pdf files.
1984-88 Records
A video interview with original owner, Milton, is viewable below.
An exterior and interior walkaround video, driving video and cold start video are also viewable below.
Two separate galleries of photos are provided below.
One gallery features current photos of the vehicle and one features photos that were taken shortly after the vehicle's initial acquisition by the seller in 2019.
This car is a rare treasure: It is a verifiable, known quantity that hides no secrets in its endless archives of astonishing historical notes & records. There is no doubting that this car has been truly loved and returned the favor in spades. With over $80k spent keeping this amazing and unique 300TDT classic not only roadworthy but road-capable, the tales that this long-loved longroof could tell can't be quantified; even if the 1,200 pages of records and the high-five-figure investment can be. To be clear: This is not a car purchase. This is more like gaining a new friend....A new family member, even. Whomever becomes the next caretaker of this amazingly adored wagon will have an anthropomorphized pal in the little green buddy who bears the wonderfully weathered "Milton" moniker. There's little doubt that Milton will ever stop chugging…and looking sharp while doing so. This is a rare opportunity but, at the risk of sounding dramatic, it is perhaps a once in a lifetime opportunity: because we know it took the original Mr. Milton R. a lifetime to build the story of this car for us all to enjoy.
Godspeed, Milton.
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!
19 Comments
I remember looking at it when it was advertised on Kijiji. Milton was trying to move 8 cars at the time, many of them parked under the condo complex he was living in. While it was advertised with 267kkm, rust-free and best in the world, it had more than twice the mileage. Eventually the salt during canadian winters had won over the yearly oil-spray, there was corrosion behind the rear wheel wells, in the front drains and on the hatch. He insisted there was never a cruise control (though the pictures showed it) turned out it had been taken out of commission. While AC was blowing cold, the heating wasn't working at the time. There was overspray from the partial repaint on seals and chrome parts would have appreciated full disclosure on the condition. Cheers, Peter
Back to Toronto from whence it came, appropriately. A perfect circle for Milton.
Congrats to both parties Where is it going please?
Well done. A gorgeous piece of history shared.
So tempted to bid money I don't have!! Rooting for last minute bids here, what a steal!!
$12,750 bid placed by @CPetrie
30 minutes to go! Hopefully Milton finds a loving new home for the next 40 years! Good luck!
$12,000 bid placed by @BPB726
$11,750 bid placed by @awejr
@BPB726 Thanks for bidding!
thanks for allowing me to bid on such a classic 123 wagon / i am (retired) MB dealer in Palm Beach , fla
$11,000 bid placed by @BPB726
@AR80sCedes Thank you. Going through and sorting all of the paperwork from a bunch of haphazard stacks into annualized, sequential binders was a massive undertaking...but it turned into a labor of love rather quickly as I got to know the car (and the owner) through the paper trail. Dealer receipts are one thing, but what's so interesting about this car is the personal notes and letters located in the files as well. Things like Christmas cards to his mechanic thanking him for working on the wagon that year... or letters dictated to his secretary informing the insurance company that his son would be driving the car on a spring trip one week in April of '87... or the lists he would make (seemingly at the beginning of every other month) noting all the things he wanted to have looked at on the car next or what was still outstanding, etc. It was a borderline obsessive relationship that Milton had with this car, but having all of that storied history in black and white makes owning this car a very personal experience in many ways. I hope it goes to someone who will appreciate that aspect as much as I have. I'll be standing by to answer questions at the end...Good Luck to all!
$10,750 bid placed by @batto513
$10,500 bid placed by @awejr
Amazing presentation on this- looking forward to seeing what corner of the world this ends up in.
$9,250 bid placed by @Dubliner
$9,000 bid placed by @batto513
$8,750 bid placed by @aballa12
$8,500 bid placed by @CollectorConsulting
$8,000 bid placed by @lovemyham
$7,750 bid placed by @Salbo
$7,500 bid placed by @Dubliner
$7,250 bid placed by @lovemyham
A set of four Bundts appeared on todays Facebook Mercedes 123 wagon group, refinished, at $500....good value if the ultimate winner of this car wants to be more traditional.
$7,000 bid placed by @georgeprice
$6,750 bid placed by @Josh
$6,500 bid placed by @CollectorConsulting
@PCamp Thank you! Sounds like you have the perfect twin to this special wagon. To clarify, the drivetrain on this car is original (same block & Trans numbers) but they've each been rebuilt twice over 40 years. I definitely agree that having the detailed history is invaluable in knowing what a 40-year old higher-mileage car will need in the future. You're 100% right that the ability to avoid the inevitable guesswork is worth its weight in gold. Thanks for the kind words!
I am quite interested how this auction goes as I own a near twin to this car... an 85 petrol green 877 with euro headlights, 15 X 7 BBS gold mesh wheels and a Palomino leather interior... not that I ever want to sell. My car, currently with 309k miles, came with extensive records nearly, but not quite, as voluminous as this one. I have added a lot more during my ownership. The engine and trans in my car are original though, both still strong due to documented religious maintenance. I can't state how important it is to know such a detailed history of the car, removes the guesswork about what was done and what needs to be done. I felt quite fortunate to locate and acquire my car years ago and its records were a strong selling point. This car has quite a unique option list for a wagon with its rare Mushroom leather upholstery and heated seats (an option I wish mine had come with). Good luck with the sale @ariotofmyown and hope the new caretaker enjoys the car as much as I do mine.
@lakers91325 Thank you! I absolutely agree and am hopeful it goes to the right person...but no matter who wins, I have no doubt they will be extremely pleased with the car and its wonderful history. A real treasure, for sure.
Absolutely gorgeous. This is an absolute treasure and I hope it will be continued to be looked after the way it has been. Good luck with the sale.
$5,623 bid placed by @Salbo
$5,373 bid placed by @Dubliner
@Vlad600sel Thanks Vlad! Petrol Green Metallic is one of my all time favorite colors. You're a man of good taste! haha.
I got same color on my 87 r107 Gl Beautiful car
$5,123 bid placed by @CollectorConsulting
$4,083 bid placed by @batto513
$3,833 bid placed by @OMG648
$3,583 bid placed by @Dmaxgold
Those wheels...those foglights....and its GREEN! Very nice 🤩🤩🤩
Just....wow! I've never seen anything like this level of detail and attention from an owner. You can really tell how special this car was to him. Kudos to the seller on the presentation too...thats a helluva lot of paperwork to go through haha. Good Luck!
$3,333 bid placed by @Salbo