Ten years ago, I wrote, “Today I reached a 20-year anniversary of owning a 1985 Mercedes 300 Diesel, and felt it important to celebrate in some way. When I bought the car, it was seven years old. That seemed pretty not-new to me at the time, but it was almost nothing in relative terms compared to its age now. I never imagined I would own it twenty years later, and I never imagined a car’s positive attributes could remain virtually undiminished without restoration or major mechanical rebuilds along the way.
…At first, the plan was to keep it only a few years, but the 300D soon became a friend that I kept putting off the thought of parting with. We commuted to every job together. Attended shows and rock concerts in it. Traveled each and every highway along the East coast. Friends had all ridden in it or driven it on occasions. One got sick in the 300D, another one on it…
The 300D has proven that a well-made car can, in fact, do these things. Celebrating this two-decade milestone quietly without fanfare would be fine, because both myself and the noble old Mercedes-Benz are more suited to understatement rather than flash…
…As a driver in a newer E350 passed me, I could not help comparing my ownership experience with what I imagine his to be. Could I afford to trade up to a newer model? Yes. Do I feel the need to? No. Sure I don’t have the nicest, most expensive Mercedes compared to that guy, but I honestly believe I’m having more fun.”
Tonight on December 30th, ten years later, I’m now celebrating 30 years of owning my anthracite gray 1985 300D nicknamed “Bruno”. A couple of weeks ago, knowing this anniversary was approaching, I was behind the wheel of Bruno trying to decide if the joys of ownership had diminished in the last 10 years. Or twenty. Or twenty-five.
To figure that out, I asked myself a simple two-part question. 1) Does the car still excite me to drive, be seen in, and look at? And 2) Does money spent on parts for this car still bring as much satisfaction as it used to? And when I say parts, I don’t mean just blingy things like shiny custom wheels. I’m including behind-the-scenes repairs and upgrades that make the car better.
Over the last ten years, there were periods when I was focused on work and other things when Bruno languished undriven in the garage. But even during those times, simply looking at the car every time I took the garbage out never failed to put a smile on my face. So, when I was able during 2021 and 2022, I did manage to upgrade the brake pads, rotors, and calipers. Brake fluid was renewed during the process, and I’ve been a responsible adult by changing the transmission fluid, and diesel fuel filters as well.
In fact, making these improvements even motivated me to drain old gunky diesel fuel out of the tank so the tank itself could be sent to a professional shop for stripping and refinishing. Having the fuel tank restored to like-new condition wasn’t absolutely necessary, but I know the car is better for it. Noone else will ever notice or be wowed by these upgrades, but it doesn’t matter – because I’ll know. The money and time spent did indeed put a big smile on my face, just as much as it would have in 1993.
Getting the engine to run better and feeling the car deliver the performance, handling, and ride comfort it was endowed with at the factory again was extremely satisfying. Hearing the diesel engine purr, and these 5-cylinder M-B engines do just that, can time warp anyone who remembers the 1980s and ’90s back to that period when these cars were plentiful on the roads. Seeing friends and family smile simply after hearing the engine always leaves me with Christmas morning type joy. So the answer to question number one is a solid yes.
I have to conclude that if owning the car wasn’t fun, I wouldn’t have made the following unnecessary “improvements” during 2022. For example, it never seemed right to me that gear shift bezels on all w123s are marked “D/S/L” in the manner of a 3-speed automatic when all w123 automatic transmissions actually featured 4 forward gears. So for only a few dollars, I found an identically-shaped shifter bezel from a 1983-85 380SL appropriately marked “D/3/2”. I’m the only one who’s really going to notice the shifter bezel or care, but it puts a smile on the face every time I sit in the driver’s seat. Maximum bang for the buck here.
I’ve always preferred the looks of airbag-equipped steering wheels on 1980s w126 S-class models over the basic-looking non-airbag wheel on my 300D. Since learning that these same airbags were actually offered on 1982 and later w123s in other markets, I decided to find a pre-1986 airbag wheel from a seller overseas. Swapping the new steering wheel onto the car was easy, and it created a look for the interior that’s far more modern.
Another hidden upgrade I made to Bruno during 2022 was locating a set of “aluminum steelie” wheels. If you’re not familiar with what these are, Mercedes began producing aluminum versions of their basic 14-inch steel wheels for the 1981 model year. These were cheaper to produce than the styled aluminum “bundt” wheels, yet they achieved Mercedes’ goal of reducing overall vehicle weight for increased fuel economy. Plus, importantly, they allowed fitment of the color-matched wheel covers to continue.
Replacing the heavy steel wheels on my 300D with lightweight aluminum ones was extremely satisfying, because these really are a unique creation that few, if any, other automakers have bothered to make. The fact that these exist at all is a testament to how Mercedes engineers sweated every single detail during the era of w123 production. Yep, making this improvement that no one else will see or know about represents maximum ownership enjoyment distilled into pure form.
As with any vehicle, part of the ownership experience is keeping track of how it’s holding its value. You’ll need to start by looking at how much money models similar to yours in top A-1 condition are selling for, then work down from there until you arrive at the sobering reality of what someone might actually pay you for yours.
To see what the best W123s are selling for, I went to bringatrailer.com (see our related article On The Bring A Trailer Online Experience) where well-heeled private buyers and sellers are in abundance. Since the site allows you to search by make and model (Mercedes w123s for example), it was easy to punch up previous sales in order of highest sale prices, date, or other criteria.
As of today, one of the top 4 big-dollar W123 sales was a 1985 300D in the exact same color (anthracite gray outside and palamino interior) as mine with only 1,541 miles on it. As you’d expect, everything was showroom condition – identical in every way to my 300D but without the wrinkles of age. This car got bid up to $53,000 without meeting the seller’s minimum reserve. Something tells me the high bidder and seller worked out a deal privately that involved more than 53 thousand dollars.
During 2021 when the stock market was soaring, first- and second-place w123 records were set when a black 1983 300TD wagon (38k miles) sold for $64,500 and an ’85 diesel wagon sold for $56,500 despite 97k miles on the clock. In fourth place was a 1985 diesel coupe with 15,000 miles selling for $45,000 in November 2022.
I don’t plan on selling my 300D, but it’s good to see that prices for well-used examples these days are higher than they’ve ever been – confirming these cars are well appreciated. That’s very satisfying to know.
Like most classic car owners, I’d relish the idea of having mine professionally restored down to the last nut and bolt. Of course, this would cost more money than I can spare, and probably more money than the car would be worth. But still, the fact that excellent w123s sell for $60,000 – $70,000 in a good economy means the cost of restoration wouldn’t be all that much more. Those who appreciate 123s know that vehicle condition affects value far more than the number of miles on the odometer.
If this were a Geometry class, I’d say that I have thoroughly proven that my answer to Question #2 is a resounding yes. Bruno does in fact, prove just as satisfying to own now as it did thirty years ago. As far as raising money for a full restoration, I’ll just keep buying lottery tickets until I win. I don’t think I’d collect much with a Go Fund Me page.
What car do you still find satisfying to own?
–Sean
