Introduced in late 1975 as the successor to the wildly successful W114 family of cars, the 123 would eventually go on to out-sell its predecessor significantly, becoming one of the most successful executive car ranges ever offered, and one of the best-selling lines Mercedes-Benz ever produced.
Offered with a wide variety of engines and body styles from the 2.0-litre carburettor-fed M115 to the 2.8-litre M110 inline-six with Bosch K-Jetronic injection, the W123 family also included the first official Mercedes-Benz estate - codenamed the S123. Prior to this, all other Mercedes-badged estates had been coach-built items, making the TE models a milestone in the development of the Mercedes-Benz brand.
This 280 TE ‘third series model’ was purchased by our vendor during the latter part of 2020, as an alternative to a modern ‘soulless’ commuter car for transporting him to-and-from his London and Gloucestershire address, with the latter now being the home of this beautifully boxy wagon.
As the last of the line, this TE enjoys the numerous upgrades given to the third series cars including rectangular headlights, power steering, moulded seat backrests, and Zebrano wood panelling in the dashboard.
Now surplus to requirements due to several incoming additions to our vendor’s ever-growing collection of unusual and desirable cars, this 280 TE has been kept mechanically excellent and had significant work carried out over the course of our vendor’s ownership, meaning it starts on the button and with an impressive gusto for a car of this age and mileage.
The Paperwork
Included with the vehicle is the full complement of supplying dealer handbooks, manuals and the Mercedes-Benz book pack, along with two sets of keys. The V5 is present showing six former owners, and there are numerous older invoices and documents including MOT certificates.
Highlights of work carried out in recent years but prior to our vendor’s ownership includes new central locking actuators in 2015, welding to the NSF subframe in April 2016, new brake pads in 2017 and a new alternator in January 2018.
Our vendor has recently fitted a new battery less than a month ago, but - due to being carried out as cash jobs - there are no invoices for any of the work carried out by a local motor factor during his ownership, though he assures us that any major work that has been required has been carried out.
The original clocks are also included - the vendor notes they were removed from the car at 180,000 miles, but is unable to confirm the mileage of the ‘new’ set which are currently in the car at the time of installation.
Settling into the interior and slamming shut the trademark ‘overbuilt’ doors seen on Mercedes of this era, it’s like slipping on a well-worn shoe or donning your favourite pair of slippers - it’s a little worn from a visual standpoint, but it feels familiar and somehow just ‘right’ at the same time.
The driver’s seat has recently had some attention to the foams whilst in the vendor’s care, and remains in good shape. The leather on all five seats shows varying degrees of wear from light creasing in the rear to heavy wear up front, but this is commensurate with the mileage of the car.
The woodwork is in generally good shape - particularly on the dashboard itself - though these are a few patches of wear noted. The carpets are in generally good order and whilst the headliner is taut throughout the central portion, there is some sagging trim noted at both the very front and very rear of the car. By contrast, the sunroof is in excellent order and opens/closes with ease - perfect for the lovely summer weather we’ve been enjoying recently.
High-traffic areas such as the steering wheel, switchgear and door cards all wear some usage patina as you’d expect, but we’d suggest that a good leather conditioning and some elbow grease would go a long way towards taking some years of this well-travelled interior.
One thing that always strikes us is just how comfortable these wagons really are - no wonder they make excellent long-distance commuter cars!
During our short time with the car, we noted that the rear nearside window was not operating correctly. The vendor explained that this is an issue the car has had since purchasing and expects it to be a blown fuse.
The Bruno Sacco-penned lines still cut an impressive shape even in today’s world of sleek cars and low rooflines, and as a result this S123 commands an impressive presence wherever it goes.
The paintwork on this example is in fair condition given it’s mileage, and as a whole presents well from a distance. Up close, however, there are numerous patches of wear and some large areas of bubbling, most notably around the offside front arch, offside rear arch and around the upper tailgate, along with some smaller scattered patches inside the doors and along their edges - all of which is shown in the gallery below.
All of the glass looks to be in excellent order, and all of the trim pieces are present and correct, meaning there is no need to go hunting for obscure parts to update the exterior of this wagon.
As with the bodywork, all four wheels are presentable from a distance, but up close they’re crying out for refurbishment, and we’d suggest a fastidious owner would likely have this as their first port-of-call when overhauling this example aesthetically.
It’s no wonder so many Mercedes’ of this era still live on in public service to this day - most often as taxis in developing nations - due to their impressive reliability and robust construction.
Despite having over 180,000 miles racked up in service (likely significantly more due to the aforementioned clock change) the 2.8-litre inline-six engine fired into life with an impressive vigour despite having been sat in the sun all day. The gearbox showed no issues that we could notice during our short drive, and the engine was happy to idle for extended periods of time, and deal with repeated re-starts.
One thing we did note, however, was a number of creaks and light clonks when traversing rougher roads or speed bumps, suggesting some suspension components will require attention in the near future, though the car remains perfectly usable as it sits.
Looking at the engine itself, from a visual standpoint it looks to be in good order, though there is some staining noted from a past oil or fluid leak as seen on the offside of the block itself. However, despite the stain we saw no fresh fluid leaks during our inspection, and given the enthusiasm of the car when starting and driving, everything seems to be in good mechanical order.
Usable, drivable and in very good mechanical health, this 280 TE makes a strong case as an unusual, yet comfortable and reliable daily driver or - as our vendor has used it - long-distance commuting car for the driver that wants a car with style and a soul.
Whilst there is undoubtedly some cosmetic work required and some patches of corrosion that need attention, this is a fantastically usable 280 TE that can be enjoyed without the usual worries that come with owning and driving a pristine, concours-specification car. Equally, it would make an excellent basis for a restoration or project for the enthusiast that is handy with bodywork - the possibilities are endless!
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1985 Mercedes-Benz 280 TE
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