Quick, think of an oddball Mercedes! What’s the first thing that comes to mind? The R-class cross-over? The pre-war W23, W28 and W30 with their rear-mounted four-cylinder engines? The Unimog? Well, yes, those are all rather odd cars. But how about throwing in W123 into that question? Most people will think of the slow diesel-powered sedans, but you’re not most people, so you’ll know that from 1977-1978 in the North American market, you could get your W123 sedan powered by the 2.3-liter, four-cylinder M115 engine. Putting out 93hp and 125 lb.-ft. of torque, it’ll leave everything but the 280E and post-1980 300TD in the dust. Check out this 1977 Mercedes 230 for sale for $2000 in Portland, OR.
Rusty But Trusty 