Rusty But Trusty

So, let’s start off with an apology to readers in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania, because you’re looking at what was until recently an ordinary used car. To make up for it, the next feature will have to be a North American-market car with oversized impact bumpers, a nose-high stance, rectangular sealed beam headlights, and, uh, an 85mph speedometer. With that out of the way, on to the feature car – Mercedes’ W123 is one of the pillars upon which the company’s reputation was built, and depending on your experiences, you could say the one upon which they are now resting. While the diesel-powered cars dominated sales in North America, the gasoline-powered cars were a little more lively, the 136hp M102 four-cylinder giving 136hp and 148 lb.-ft. of torque. Let’s take a look at this 1983 Mercedes 230E for sale for $1300 in Veneta, OR.

Three cheers for small bumpers and flush rest-of-world headlights. From this perspective, the car looks in very good condition, with the exception of a possible rust patch ahead of the front wheel. The front door is slightly misaligned, but it’s entirely possible it was not fully shut during photography. Per the seller, the car has a clean title, starts and runs well, and serves as a daily driver that gets 27mpg. An odometer shot shows nearly 207,000 miles, and while there are certainly signs of wear, most cars would be falling apart at this point.

There is some body damage, most notably small rust bubbles in the usual old-car spots, and a small dent in the front passenger door. But all trim and hubcaps are present, and the car makes an overall healthy impression for the price. Other shots show things look good around the back, and this car has what was likely an optional passenger door mirror. Tires appear to be recent Hankooks.

Shots of the interior are not quite as helpful, either from off angles or showing only parts of the front or rear. Nonetheless, the interior shows a couple of neat things, some of which make care easier – manually wound windows, likely manual climate controls, and no sunroof. Cloth seats are also a foreign-market option that’s useful in non-air-conditioned models.

For the rest-of-world readers, there’s an 85mph speedometer to get excited about, which indicates speed in odd 15mph increments. The clock is set to exactly 12, so it probably doesn’t work, unless the seller really shot the car exactly at noon. There also seems to be an ABS light on the display. At this price, it’s hard to see why someone who appreciates older cars wouldn’t pick this up as a cheap run-around car – will you be that person?

Tags: 230e, Feature, german, mercedes, sedan, under $2000, w123

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