Description
The W123 range further enhanced Mercedes’ reputation for engineering excellence and build quality when it was launched in 1975. From then until 1986, it was produced in a variety of different body styles and with various engine options, and became the German marque’s most successful model to date.
Rugged and reliable, the W123 was renowned for its ability to faultlessly cover high mileages and it was therefore ideally suited to endurance rallying. A pair of 280Es finished first and second in the 1977 London-Sydney Marathon, the winning car being crewed by Andrew Cowan, Colin Malkin and Mike Broad.
Earlier that year, a coupé version had been introduced on a short-wheelbase platform that still retained enough interior room for a pair of small rear seats. Officially referred to as the C123, it was available with a choice of either a 2. 3-litre four-cylinder engine or a 2. 8-litre straight-six, and a 3-litre turbodiesel was developed for the American market.
This 230CE was originally registered on 1 August 1985, making it a very late example that left the factory only a few months before production came to an end. That means it benefits from the later M102 engine, which ran on Bosch fuel injection rather than the single Stromberg carburettor that had been used on the earlier M115 unit. It was more powerful, too, with output being boosted from 108bhp to 134bhp, and drives through a smooth four-speed automatic gearbox.
The build quality is evident as soon as you close the doors with a solid ‘thunk’, and this Mercedes has benefitted from a considerable amount of investment in recent years. In 2018, the bonnet, roof and sunroof panel were resprayed. The sunroof carrier mechanism was overhauled at the same time and new seals were fitted.
After being acquired by its current owner in 2019, RPS carried out repairs to both front wings as well as the rear wings, removing corrosion and refinishing them. The history file includes MoT certificates going back to the 1980s, and this Mercedes 230CE is now being offered for sale as a very usable, reliable and well-sorted example of this timeless German classic, or maybe a perfect platform for a classic rally car!
The car is currently with Rally Preparation Services sister Company, the RPS storage facility and available for inspection.
All viewings and test drives welcomed by appointment at Rally Preparation Services.
All enquiries please contact us on using the button below or telephone +44(0)the details below
