Mercedes Benz W123 is the best-selling Mercedes-Benz of all time - 2,7 millions made. It radiates old-school spirit of quality engineering. eugenevalkovsky #mercedes #w123 #car
Hard to argue with the opinion that the W123 was as great as any car made. Reminds me of my first Benz, a 1984 300D bought new from the dealer in Freiburg Germany. It was a euro spec car and I imported it to San Francisco. It had a 4 speed manual. The only parts I replaced in 225,000 miles was one clutch and the synchros in the transmission. What a solid, tank of a car, so solid and dependable. I moved on to an 87 300E, 88 300E, and still have a 1990 300CE as well as a 2000E430 and a 2001 E430 Sport. After the W210 cost cutting has definitely hurt the reliability and dependability of Mercedes.
My dad had both a 1979 240D W123 and a 1985 250D W124, the 240D reached +800.000Km until we got in a serious accident, we walked out without any injuries but the car suffered major front end damage, the car was sent to the scrapyard but someone decided to repair it and i saw it few times on the road again! The W124 250D reached over 1 million kilometers last time i saw it and started it back in 1996 it was still running but only on 3 cylinders, not bad since my dad never maintained any of his cars. The best cars ever made!! The days when Germans took their products and reputation seriously
One of the best cars ever made, the west get rid of things too fast, but Africa and the East still have them on the road today, as taxis, they live on in foreign countries even today, great car.
My father had a 200D, the one with 55hp, from 1984 to 1997... All members of our family weighted well above 100kg so O-100 km/h usually took quite a bit more than thirty seconds, and dad treated the accelerator as an on/off button. He had the habit of running that car up-hill on the most horrible roads he could find in the Alps valley he was born in and the shock absorbers had essentially died by its 150000 km...which it never actually reached, as it was totalled by an out-of-control Golf that slammed on it during a sudden storm on Fuscagno's mountain pass. My father died a month after. I miss that car, and my dad.
The 4, 5 and 6 cylinder Volvos will all do mega mileage and they won’t rot like some Mercedes’ I’ve seen - try and find a mercedes sprinter van over 15 years old still on the road and your see what I mean!
My dad bought this car in 1983. It was the best car i have ever seen. He drove 1 million km and he was still driving untill he retired and sold this car in 1998.
Thanks for building this rich & entertaining homage to "Mercy" & her mechanical kin. She's an '84 300D Turbodiesel, coming up on 400,000 miles, still flyin' down the west lane, humming diesel music to the wind. My 15 yr old did her last valve adjustment. We lived in her for awhile when he was a little guy. A more dependable friend there never was.❤
Един от най - здравите и надеждни автомобили в света, карах 16 години такъв 200е никакви ремонти просто съм приятно изненадан от качество и здравина няма вече такива автомобили!
Its follower W124 is as well-made and legendary as the W123. These cars are highly coveted and driven until today, whilst also having brought a huge jump in technology. Matter of fact, the W124 sedans shape changed the entire industry from being boxey cars to being less wind resistant. W124 is literally the pioneer of the modern sedan. So both of those to me, deserve their spot among the best cars of all time. This can sadly not be said about later Series cars.
Each E classe was a breakthrough for design. The 210 was the first to combine tech from citroen and others to make a market leading sedan. The 211 literally redefined the whole market by adding the e55 and later the e63. The 212 was just as lame as the 210 and all of the german manufacturers began building the same cars.
Tbf, the W201 kinda brought about the W124. The W201 is arguably the car you mention, but the W124 makes that design just that little bit nicer through having a bit more room inside, etc.. but the W124 carried on into the age of stuff like disposable wiring.
True. Our E230 completed the speedo and started from zero again. The only time it broke down waa when the exhaust cracked due to rust. Its still running even today but the seats need cushioning. Window regulators need replacing. Sun roof still works. Good reliable car.
my father s (rest in peace my beloved father) w114 was the car that tought me how to drive. along with the w123 were and still are by far the legends of reliability. those times it was an insult for mercedes for a car to have major mechanical issues under the mileage of half a million killometers.
We had in our family a W123 for 12 years and we used it at maximum and beat the hell out of it. We crossed a river and engine got water but we revived it, engine got off the mounts when we crossed big swamps, put back motor on and repaired the radiator with mustard because had leaks, radiator fan bite a bit from radiator itself, rust got floor panels that we get our feet out of it, we towed with it tonnes of materials that sometimes the exhaust got ripped of, one time a front wheel whent off because the bearing got loose and many other stories I've had with it, I can write a book, and the car never skipped a beat. Mechanically the car was built like a tank, we loved it to have in our family. After a while, my dad rebuild the engine an 240 D, and in 2007-2008 we finally we sold the car, only issues had where with rust. Now my dad owns a W126 300 petrol.
It probably is one of the finest cars built in my lifetime. It is thirsty and (relatively) heavy, but beautifully designed, engineered and built. There are other candidates: The original Fiat Panda, the Citroën ID/DS, the Lancia Fulvia, the Citroën 2CV and others... But if I had to drive fast for 250 miles, the W123 would be my choice.
I worked for a Taxi Company here in Switzerland with around 30 MB 200 Diesel. Such great cars, for me as a driver and the customers. A lot of the cars with more than 300'000 miles at the end and then they were sold to Africa or Middle East.
My dad had a 240d. In 1982 he bought a 300d with that magnificent 5 cilinder engine and a lot of options . In that time it cost 30000€ which was a huge amount of money. Thanks to the option politics from Mercedes it was so expensive. Sadly the car was stolen only one year after purchased. He still thinks about it and said it was the best car he ever owned. Maybe I have to buy one or the later 124 300d
Mercedes Benz was an engineering first company. Durability, reliability, and usability were attributes Mercedes took into consideration. The new Mercedes are now a fashion and status symbol. I would say Toyota/Lexus has taken place of what Mercedes once stood for.
Thank you for the great video! It's great to see how the viewers have responded by sharing their memories of this fantastic vehicle. Your video has truly inspired them.
the W123 was the worlds first multi fuel car, each could run on petrol , diesel , paraffin , ethanol , rapeseed oil or even scotch whisky , In Scotland UK most ran entirely on whisky as it was cheaper than petrol :-)
We had a 300D between 1977 and 1989. It did look stunning both inside and out and the sound of the engine is iconic but it was a rust bucket within 3 years. It was loud and would not start if temperature was below 5 Celsius. The lobes on the came shaft wore flat after 80,000 km. The interior plastic trim on the B pillars warped within 2 years. Acceleration was very slow. Good thing they don’t build them like that anymore!
Greetings from India. There are few imported W123s here, still in good condition. Some of the movies also sport them as classic cars. Thanks for the well researched video
I drive a Mercedes since 1985. M'y first Mercedes was a W123 300D automatic. I agree that it was the best quality car I have had. This car was in a superior category compare with other cars. Now thé différence is smaller.
A W123 with a manual box in those days would have been notchy to say the least. And stiff to use. The auto box is better. And yes, it must run on petrol not diesel. 😀
@@kenmacfarlane8744 lovely Ken, but I am looking for a 190E,a imported one from Germany to Portugal, it's from my uncle,and He said that i can buy it from him as he knows that I am the one who can keep it in mint condition ad he did since 1989. Fingers crossed Ken, fingers crossed.
Nice video. I have the 300TDT - I think the T is for Transporter but in the US they're known as W123 Wagon. Even better suspension than the sedan, with self leveling hydraulic shocks in the rear.
@@tower_studios_dave Oh yes, Touring. I've had the W124 300D - great car. For the first 10 years I thought they looked boxy and old. now I think they're about the nicest cars on the road. Not many left - I can't afford a decent W124 TD so I'll stick with my W123 For some reason, I prefer the diesel versions - have had 5 total.
@@MrKnutriis I would love a diesel, but they are very rare here in the UK. I used to have a W123 230E, and absolutely loved that car. The W123 wagon is a beautiful car. Enjoy my friend!
Mercedes would do well making a modern limited edition run of these, priced competitively with the current E-class. Run a lottery to earn the privilege of buying.
The W123 is a great car, one of my all time favourites. However, I would have to say the W124 was a better car. The W124 was a pioneer in so many areas that 35 years later it would still stand up modern standards, in terms of design, dynamics, performance, safety. The 500E was probably the best sedan ever (if you dont take the 190E Evo2 into account).The W123 comes close though. My W202 is a cheaper knockoff of the 124, still a very good car.
@@martinsv9183 Much safer, less wind resistance, enough power to perform well enough in modern traffic. The electronics dont include anything that you wouldnt deem neccessary in modern life, airbags come standard. To me thats a huge upgrade.
@@agoatwithnonamd Not sure about much safer.. the w123 actually has better real world survival statistics.. Its harder on the outside. They started making the w124 softer to not be as aggressive against pedestrians and lighter cars. Not supposed to affect the passenger cell but maybe it did in real life anyway, at certain speeds. The w124 is a more complicated car. Compared to the w123. For better and for worse. I've had both. Its a matter of personal opinion if you deem certain things necessary or not. The w124 certainly is a much more modern car so much easier to live with as a daily for sure. Or on longer trips. But if you want something unbreakable that will always function and never be complicated or expensive to repair the w123 is better. Its also roomier inside.
@@martinsv9183 the 124 was roomier, every successive generation tends to be. It was "engineered like no other car" (to quote MBs ad campaign of the time). Everything was built to last and here in ZA 🇿🇦 they've stood the test of time. To me the 123 was/is the perfect 3 box sedan along with the E30 3-series, the 124, the best of the "aero" sedans.
@@charl_k The w124 is not roomier in practice. No matter what some spec sheet says. I've had them booth. The w123 is 5 cm (2 inch) wider. You feel that instantly inside when you sit down in both cars. The w124 is also supposed to have 5 liters of extra trunk space in the sedan. Yet try place 4 wheels in the trunk... Not possible. But you can do that in the w123.
Was a Mercedes-Benz master tech for 30 years, factory rep said the W220 was a high tech rocket that wouldn't get off the lot, looking at them now, I am so glad I started in semiconductors, the new cars are just junk. W123,W116 and W126 were the last good Mercedes-Benz's.
Hands down best sedan ever made by anyone period. Haters say otherwise it is not true. Safest ,strongest ,best ride ,best fuel economy. not fastest ,but so what. try walking at 55 miles per hour for 600 miles.
The W123 is among the greatest cars ever. I didn't own one but many of my friends did and one still does. Hoe bought it when he was sixteen and still owns and uses it now that he is 40. He collects cars and many has come and gone but the Benz has always remained a staple.
I always knew that auto makers could easily produce cars like this. Durable, super long lasting, little maintanance and dependable. Planned absolesence and greedy corporate executives did not want this. They "evolve" their models to attract new buyers and boost their profits. What a shame....I would buy one of these new any day. I saw these Mercedes in Greece with 500/600,000 miles and still running like a clock.
Yes. Had one for 30 years. My only concern is that RU-vid channels will tell bored young people with money to buy up all of these like so many other cars, driving up prices and limiting supply. Too bad.
The waiting for a T 123 was not only nearly two years, it was also in 1978 that some dealers did not accept any orders on these models. So my father sold his order right for a 300TDiesel for 37 k DEM for 5 K as he could not afford it any more.
