All About The W123 Mercedes Turbo Diesel

Mercedes introduced the W123 to European markets in sedan form in 1976. It was the next step beyond the W114 and W115 coupes and sedans that had been around since 1967. Two years later, a station wagon version of the W123 debuted, along with the legendary OM617 3.0-liter five cylinder turbodiesel engine. United States buyers got the turbodiesel 300TD beginning in 1981, when that model sold about 28,000 units worldwide (via Mercedes Heritage). W123s were also tagged as the 300CD (coupe) or 300D (sedan). 

The engine in the North American version of the 1980 300CD put out a modest 83 horsepower and 120 pound-feet of torque, and took more than 18 seconds to get the 4,442-pound car to 60 miles per hour. At the time, many American buyers were more concerned with fuel economy than performance, and the 300CD delivered an EPA rated 23 miles per gallon and 28 on the highway.   

[Featured image by The Benz Bar via Wikimedia Commons|Cropped and scaled|Public Domain]

The output of the 3.0-liter turbo diesel engine slowly improved over the years, and in the 1985 300TD shown above it produced 123 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. That was enough to get that model from 0-60 in just under 14 seconds, while still providing 22 miles per gallon in the city and 25 on the highway. The W123 gave way to the W124 E-class in January 1986, which includes the rock-solid 500E. W123 models of all types are legendary for reliable operation and remain valuable today. The gasoline-fueled version of the OM617 even made our list of the most reliable gas engines in automotive history.  W123s were well-built from the start, with high-quality interiors and robust rust protection. The double wishbone front suspension gave the W123 a smooth ride, and safety-forward crumple zones kept occupants safe as well. Of the three body styles, the 300D sedan was the most common, with just over 75,000 units made.

Classic.com lists 115 W123 series 300D sales over the past five years, at an average price of just under $13,000. 112 of the remaining 28,000 or so 300TD wagons have changed hands in that same time frame, for an average price of almost $20,000 (via Classic.com). The rarest variant is the 300CD coupe, which was only sold in North America and saw a production run of only about 8,000 units. Classic.com notes that 61 of those have been sold in the last five years, for an average price of just over $18,000.  

[Featured image by Mic via Wikimedia Commons|Cropped and scaled|CC-By 2.0]