Description
Mercedes 230CE, 1984. 2300cc, petrol injected, and fitted with a rare 5-speed manual gearbox, 12 months MOT.
Remarkable condition, with many new parts. A head turning elegant classic that’s reliable and usable in modern traffic.
The car is in very good condition and has extensive history. It was first registered in August 1984 in Hull with the first owner keeping it for less than a year. Westway Garage, also in Hull, then sold it in early August 1985 to the second owner. The receipts show he traded in an Audi 80GL for £4, 500 to Johnsons Garage of Elloughton and paid Westway £13, 400. The mileage at the date of sale was 8, 500. The Mercedes service record shows it was given its run-in oil change at 972 miles and this was followed by regular servicing up to 65, 857 by Westway and latterly by Johnsons’ garages. Remarkably, the car remained in the second owner’s family until 2014. It is believed that when the owner died the car passed to his son. From around 1996 the car was little used and eventually was taken off the road and garage stored. There are SORNs from 2003 to 2013.
It was then acquired by a dealer who lightly recommissioned it, although this did include new front wings, and I bought it in 2015.
The odometer showed 105, 000 and it had a fresh MOT but as to be expected after a decade of storage more work was required. Over the next two years it was systematically refurbished to restore it to its original condition.
Amongst the work undertaken was: new brake callipers and brake pipes; new clutch master and slave cylinders; steering box and associated linkages replaced; exhaust and manifold replaced; timing chain and tensioner replaced; half-shafts replaced; new radiator. In addition, many electrical, vacuum and injection system gremlins, resulting from the lack of use, have been sorted out and it now receives regular servicing to keep it in tip-top condition.
A period Blaupunkt radio/ CD has been fitted. The Mercedes vacuum central locking has been supplemented with an aftermarket remote key fob for ease of use.
The result is an exceptionally original, rust free car with a near perfect interior that drives beautifully giving a time-warp 1980s experience. Even the First-Aid kit is the original factory issue.
This rare* and elegant Mercedes Coupe is both usable and reliable reflecting the legendary Mercedes W123 design and build quality. I’m looking for a new project so it has to go to make room in the garage.
*(According to - details above there are thirteen 1984 230 CEs on the road and 18 on a SORN in 2019. The total number of 230 CEs on the road in 2019 is 67 with another 113 on SORN)
