Mercedes Benz W123 Quintett: If Paradise is half as nice…

My little Mercedes W123 garage. The picture had to be taken. Necessarily. Or have you ever seen two Mercedes 123s in DB 406 Cayenne in one picture? Today is the day. Colorful mixture, five times favorite star with five different motors. One of the cars is very, very special. They never built that at Mercedes in the factory. There were a few crazy people who planted a heart in the coupe that beats much louder than the police allow. No wonder, with 2 pistons more. But now we would like to introduce you to the five Mercedes W123 in the photo. A clockwise lap. We start with the limousine in the left foreground. 

W123 280 DB406 Cayenne Orange

A 280 carburetor from first hand, run 141,000km, checkbook up to 60,000km, entrepreneur car, ESSD, upholstery tobacco. Magical first-series car. The six-cylinder with carburetor (M110.923) initially had 21, from April 1978 even 29PS less than the M110 injector (156/177/185) in the 280E. Anyone driving such a 280 will soon fall in love with the sound. The Solex double register carburetor uses its throttle valves as delicately as Gergijew the Munich Philharmonic. The 280 carburetor remained in the range for five and a half years, and the last one left the factory in July ’81.

W123 380 CE DB932 Lapisblau

When this coupé left Untertürkheim in the direction of Regensburg on February 24, 1981, the two-door model delivered in 876 cypress green with 935 velours was a stately car. No idea in what condition the car fell into the hands of the mad cow working group at the TU Darmstadt. But the boys certainly impressed the dean of the mechanical engineering department. A Mercedes C123 full restoration with precisely fitting installation of the sunroof and M116 engine is great cinema. Though the thing is going much better straight ahead than around the corner. Balance and the center of gravity are the decisive factors for every chance of driving pleasure if you want to force an eight-cylinder on a Mercedes 123. But you can also just find the 380CE just beautiful. 

W123 250 DB875 Mangogrün

This W123 6-cylinder sedan was registered as a new car at the Daimler factory in Stuttgart and sold to a baker via a Mercedes dealer in South Hesse three months later. This man drove the 250 for 28 years. When I got the car, it took a lot of work. Body, interior, chassis, maintenance service. But the effort was worth it. Great car. The 250 for limousine, station wagon and special vehicles fits perfectly with the 123 and sounds fantastic. Especially with the late variant (M123.921), and full 140 hp. Noted in passing, the M123 is the only W123 engine that has never been built into another Mercedes. After the end of production, the M123 disappeared from the scene. Forever. 

W123 200D DB618 Mimosengelb 

Ordered from the Stuttgart factory by an old Mercedes workshop master, 30 years later snatched from a flag dealer by the Sternwarter. With half a meter of snow on the roof. A real roadside find. The best original W123 200 diesel I’ve ever seen as a used car. Til today. Less than 83,000 kilometers on the odometer, full Mercedes checkbook, early car without servo. Well, the 55PS from OM615.940 feel a bit on the left lane of the highway, like braking hard in reverse in front of the crosswalk. But which freeway does zebra crossing already exist? In any case, the 200 Diesel is guaranteed to make you a different person. A really damn relaxed person.   

C123 230 DB406 Cayenne Orange

A car that the 70s pour out of every opening in the beautiful body. His M115 four-cylinder is legendary, indestructible, runs like clockwork. There should really be people who find this engine a little bit, well, let’s say unspectacular. Nevertheless, the coupe somehow plays in a different league. Not from this world. Is it due to the engine, color, seat covers, wood or carpets? No matter. The quality impression of this „little coupe“ is simply outstanding. Inside it smells fine of Mercedes, on the outside the 406 Cayenne Orange hits the zeitgeist on your eye as if you had insulted Mike Tyson. A really bright orange car. Damn bright orange.