This amazing little 1983 Mercedes 240D just emerged from the estate of the original owner, a retired mechanical engineer, who special ordered it new from Johnson Motors of West Covina, CA and took delivery in June of 1983- making this one of the last of the legendary 240Ds to reach our shores.
He ordered most of the available options- Automatic, Air Conditioning, Armrest, Becker Stereo with Cassette, power right hand mirror and electric sunroof and selected iconic Light Ivory with a tan interior.
He bought the car to travel with and travel he did- taking the little Benz all over the United States. It's worth noting that almost all of the mileage was accumulated in the first 20 years, after which he and his wife moved to Rancho Mirage and the car was used only sparingly. He stopped driving several years ago but she would still take him for rides in his beloved little Benz.
He was very fastidious about the little car and always returned to a Mercedes dealer for service, even after it changed hands. There are two books FULL of dealer service stamps. For the last five years, it was cared for by a Mercedes specialist in the desert.
I've had several of these little W123s over the years- I think they're phenomenally well engineered- but I must admit that this one is the nicest and best cared for that I have had.
Unbroken original Light Ivory paint shines like new. 100% rust free- not a speck anywhere- and almost no patina. There's a couple of rock chips and a door ding or two, and a scrape on the right rear wheelhouse from years back. There is a mark on the right rear fender from something that was in the trunk- barely noticeable but present. I'm pretty convinced that it can be removed paintlessly- it's not worth breaking the factory paint- and that's it. The finish looks amazing, has the great gloss and depth that only a Mercedes factory finish possesses- and it's all original, and shows no sun load.
Exterior anodizing is the nicest I have ever seen- literally unmarked, and the bumpers and stainless are excellent, Plastic trim is excellent as well. The black finish on the side trim looks new. It's just never spent a night outside. And note the original blue California plates (the frames are my own.)
Interior is very, very nice as well. Dash has one visible flaw (about an inch- see picture) and one tiny one. Interior wood glistens like new. Headliner is perfect. Door panels are very good with no cracks. Carpets have always been covered with mats. Driver's seat shows only minimal wear - passenger seat is near perfect and the rear seat looks unused. Steering wheel is like new. Original package shelf is still very fine and the first aid kit is unopened. Original manuals, warranty book and service logs are in their original pouch.
Trunk is as new and still has "paint okay" dot. Spare tire appears original to me and looks unused.
All of the accessories work properly- A/C is cold, central locking works (including trunk), power windows work, sunroof glides like new (how many of these are stuck?), Becker stereo works great (cassette untested- I don't have any left) original Hirschmann antenna works, clock keeps accurate time thirty years later, even the dome light delay switch works as new. Every lamp illuminates and the car just resonates with confidence.
Glow plugs light up quickly and it starts just fine- comes to life with a cheerful chortle. The oil pressure is excellent and the temperature runs a steady 90 degrees C. The transmission shifts snappily and consistently. As you know, it's no powerhouse but it keeps up easily in traffic. You'll master your Deranged Parisian Cabbie persona (wear a beret) but you'll have fun. Rides great and handles beautifully on the new radials. There are no leaks on the garage floor- no oil, no coolant, no trans fluid.
Also, just because it was used sparingly of late doesn't mean it was allowed to deteriorate.
There's a stamp in the service book for a Transmission replacement at the Mercedes dealer at 195,000 miles.
The A/C system was fully overhauled about a thousand miles ago including new compressor, drier, expansion valve, temp switch, and low pressure switch. All of the belts and hoses were replaced at that time to the tune of over $1600.00. The A/C is WORKING and is charged with Freeze-12.
The upper control arms were replaced a month ago (including new ball joints) and the car aligned.
Four new Hankook radial tires were fitted last week. They come with a transferable road hazard warranty good at any America's Tire location. I fitted the whitewall side out because I dig the look with the painted wheel covers, but you can flip them around to black if that's your scene.
The oil and filter were just changed due to time- We use Rotella 15-40 Diesel Oil for the desert heat.
Clear California title and registration paid through June of 2014. There is no smog required on this car in the State of California. Car is mileage exempt due to age in CA and will be sold accordingly.
No matter how you try, you can't show a car very well with 24 pictures, so please follow this link to an album of over 80.
Of course, no car is perfect, especially one 30 years old, but this is an exceptional little car and I've done my best to describe it accurately. Please feel free to ask any specific questions you may have, or let me know if you'd like to see a photo that I may have missed.
I have placed a very reasonable reserve on the little Benz and would like to find it a good home. The car may be inspected in Palm Springs, CA by appointment. I can assist with arrangements for Port delivery for a European Buyer, which will be at buyer's expense. We're about 100 miles from port. For domestic shipping quotes, use zip code 92264. Remember that your bid is a commitment to purchase, and please don't bid if you're not able to buy- that isn't fair to anyone. Lastly if you're a zero feedback bidder, be prepared to demonstrate your ability to purchase. Someone's going to get an amazing little Diesel. Will it be you?
Thanks for looking and happy bidding!
Mercedes-Benz 200-Series for Sale
Auto Services in California
Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Body Repairing & Painting, Automobile Restoration-Antique & Classic
Address: 18560 Pasadena St, Murrieta
Phone: (951) 471-5530
Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Parts & Supplies, Auto Oil & Lube
Address: 6003 Woodman Ave, Canoga-Park
Phone: (818) 908-0877
Auto Repair & Service, Windshield Repair
Address: Lathrop
Phone: (209) 505-5999
Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Parts & Supplies, Mufflers & Exhaust Systems
Address: 13510 Pomerado Rd, Cardiff
Phone: (858) 748-4300
Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Parts & Supplies, Auto Oil & Lube
Address: 14550 Delano St, Chatsworth
Phone: (818) 785-8678
Automobile Parts & Supplies, Wheels, Automobile Accessories
Address: 5901 Blackwelder St, South-Gate
Phone: (310) 836-8908
Auto blog
Thu, 14 Feb 2013
Gullwing America specializes in what it calls "retro styling meets modern technology." It's next demonstration of that is the convertible above, a stylized recreation of the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SC (inset) supported by the structure of a 2012 SLS AMG Roadster. Commissioned by a client in Eastern Europe, the resulting car is called the 300 SLC.
The hand-formed aluminum bodywork required just a few changes to the SLS AMG Roadster, namely reworking the headlights into a stacked arrangement of LEDs and relocating the pop-up spoiler behind the cabin. The retro grille and long, straight hood evoke the past, the custom exhaust, height-adjustable suspension, 21-inch wheels up front and 22-inch wheels in back, however, stray a little further from history. The 300 SLC will come with a hardtop and be one-of-a-kind, making it even rarer than its inspiration, of which 92 were made.
If you have any more questions, they can probably be answered in the high-res photo gallery above and press release below.
Thu, 11 Apr 2013
It's hard to not like the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT. The all-aluminum coupe is fitted with a wonderful naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8 delivering 583 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. Not only does the burly combustion engine launch the two-seater to 60 miles per hour in less than four seconds, but it does so with one of the world's greatest exhaust soundtracks as it roars, burbles and cackles down the road.
But what happens when Mercedes-Benz takes away the V8 and its accompanying fire-burning song? Stripped of one of its most appealing assets, does the SLS lose its soul?
Chris Harris recently had the opportunity to take the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive for a track spin in Europe. Sans gasoline, but with four electric motors providing a combined 740 horsepower (737 pound-feet of torque), all-electric all-wheel drive coupe uses sophisticated torque vectoring and a multi-mode operating system to put oversteer - drifting! - back into the equation. Fun? You bet. See for yourself, below.
Wed, 13 Mar 2013
Judges for the World Car of the Year Award have narrowed down the finalists to just four vehicles. Out of a total of 42 entries, only the Mercedes-Benz A-Class, Porsche Boxster/Cayman, Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ/Toyota GT-86 and Volkswagen Golf remain standing. For Volkswagen, this marks the second consecutive year the company has had an entry among the finalists, and the fourth time since 2009. In order to qualify, a vehicle must be on sale on two continents during the span of time between January 1, 2013 and May 30, 2013. A panel of 66 journalists from 23 countries then vote on the finalists.
Three vehicles have made the cut for the last round of voting on the 2013 World Performance Car as well, with the Cayman/Boxster and FR-S/BRZ/GT-86 running against the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta. Meanwhile, the Renault Zoe, Tesla Model S and Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid are duking it out for the World Green Car Award. Finally, the World Car Design of the Year Award is up for grabs between the Aston Martin Vanquish, Jaguar F-Type, and the Mazda6. Check out the full press release below. Overall winners will be presented at the 2013 New York Auto Show.
1970 mercedes-benz 250 4-speed manual - mint condition - arizona car(US $7,900.00)
1969 mercedes-benz 280sl roadster convertible(US $35,000.00)
151k. spent over $10,000 on major repairs. invoices and carfax avail. runs well(US $4,500.00)
1971 mercedes benz 280 se(US $7,500.00)
Fl incredible 280 16k miles rare estate west palm beach mansion car must see(US $12,800.00)
1957 mercedes benz 219 calif barn find! black plates!