1985 Mercedes-Benz W 123 COUPE

This Mercedes has been in pretty good hands over the past couple of decades or so; owner Matthew bought the car (in 2011) from a very dedicated owners’ club enthusiast.

‘He was the model captain’ [the W123 coupe] in the Mercedes Owners’ Club,’ Matthew explains. ‘He kept it in top condition and used to show the car.’ (There’s a class first place amongst its documents). ‘He also had the car restored in 2011.’

There are dated pictures from when the Mercedes was restored. The coupé had new front wings as well as new metal welded into the panel under the rear window (a common weak spot for these). Any other rust patches were eradicated and the car completely resprayed in Thistle Green - surely one of Mercedes’ most famous colours.

As well as the car’s condition; ‘not concours, but very nice,’ he says, it was the W123 range’s qualities that attracted Matthew to the coupé; ‘I wanted something usable that was relatively low-maintenance. These are very reliable - over-engineered - the car has been great.’ As a very practical two-plus-two, it was also a car the family could enjoy together - on days out and going to classic car shows.

Matthew has also had some cosmetic work done on the car. In June of this year, this year (June) rust in the rear of the nearside front wheelarch was cut out and replaced, as well as some corrosion around the front headlights and in the front valance.

In his careful use and diligent care of the Mercedes, Matthew has certainly maintained the kind of stewardship that its previous owner and the Club would have approved of. 

As stated, this car has had both a full respray and some recent localized restoration work. Coupled to that, Thistle Green is a delicate colour to work with, but the paint looks very consistent across the car, with no panels or areas mismatched or dull. The bodywork retains a good shine all round. Panels also fit together nicely, with door/bonnet/boot edges lining up evenly all around and the chrome strip belt line matching nicely with its counterpart on the next panel. Looking into nooks and crevices - door hinges or opening the fuel filler cap, the good impression still holds up. For instance, that filler cap cavity is really tidy - the paint finish still holds up and everything - the rubber mount and the flap hinge/spring is very clean.

There are a few blemishes of course, but you have to look very hard to find them. There is perhaps the beginning of a blister just above the chrome strip at the door edge on the passenger side. And a couple of tiny dots to the edge of the sun roof on the driver’s side.

The chrome is in excellent condition across the car (a couple of scratches on the nearside rear window frame), with no signs of pitting or discolouration at the joins, which themselves remain straight both on window frames and the bumpers... The rubber mounts behind them also look very healthy, with no signs of overspray. The large trademark Mercedes grill retains an excellent finish. It’s three-pointed star shines as do all the badges - and though it swivels if necessary, it remains firmly mounted.  

Mercedes interiors - in any material - are tremendously durable, and the inside of the coupé looks good. This one is trimmed in sand-coloured cloth (rather than leather) and the cabin retains a fresh airy ambience.

The seats retain their shape with crisp edges and firm bolsters and cushions. The seat material, as well as the carpets and headlining are all very clean, boasting all of their original colour. Understandably, there is a little wear to the driver’s seat cushion (by no means spoiling the whole impression of the car), and the central armrest shows a few stray threads at the rear.

The interior plastics all look good - sturdy door furniture and such. One place where there has been some ‘fatigue’ and cracking in the plastic is in the magazine net retainer at the back of the passenger seat. Matthew hasn’t so far been able to find an OEM replacement - though the original will suffice for now.

Mercedes interiors (like so many luxury makers’) have some rather fussy details - chrome caps to door arm rests, chrome strips in the gear selector mounting, but all these remain intact and untarnished. Also, the gear stick itself and the steering wheel (always a tremendously robust item on a Merc) show no scratches and retain all of their original colour. Also, a Mercedes cabin wouldn’t be a Mercedes cabin without a generous helping of glossily lacquered, strongly grained wood veneer - this 230CE ticks that box very nicely too.

One thing for all you touring fans to remember about these cars is that the W123 series are pillarless coupés - the B-pillars descend with the rear windows - and they do so very smoothly on this example. (Okay, the off-side rear window switch doesn’t work - but if can be operated easily from the front). With all the windows down and the sunroof open, these give almost the same ‘open-top’ motoring feel as a full convertible. 

The Mercedes remains sturdy underneath. Inner wheel arches remain very clean and the underside of the car in general appears very robust. The underneath is largely free of corrosion, there is some surface rust along edges (and the springs), but it represents no structural threat to any of the components. Suspension components look strong and linkages supple. The exhaust appears firmly mounted and surprisingly rust-free. Edges and joins with the sills and superstructure look very tidy. As mentioned, the door cavities and hinges look exceedingly clean. There are some small untidy patches along the joins in materials under the doors

The engine bay, while not concours, looks very tidy. Seams and folds in wing joins and bulkheads look very clean and the metal/paint in the wheel arches appears very sound. Looking deeper into the cavities brings no worrying surprises. The motor itself appears to be leak-free and its ancillaries look to be in good health too. The black air box is clean and dent free. All hoses and leads, although perhaps not the newest, show a workmanlike robustness. Nuts and jubilee clips look like they would be compliant towards a spanner.

All components are confidence-inspiring in their condition and total lack of grease or grime, while the very clean underside of the bonnet suggest there haven’t been any overheating issues.

In back of the Mercedes, the boot space looks equally good. The carpets are tidy, clean and un-warn, and pulling them back reveals a solid-looking boot floor. The spare wheel cavity is likewise clean and the spare wheel itself is sturdy. The Mercedes still retains the original and complete tool roll. 

It’s nice to see that the last two owners have been very vigilant as regards preserving the bodywork (with pictures to prove it) - many people turn a blind eye to trickier jobs, too heavily relying on the general robustness of this generation of Mercedes-Benz.

On the general maintenance side, there is less to see, though the previous owner was very much hands-on with regard to the car’s mechanical upkeep. (You’ll see receipts for parts rather than work done. (The Mercedes did have a gearbox rebuild in 2000). The car does retain a stamped service book and the present owner has also kept up with fluid changes and the like in the interim. 

The W123 series coupe is everything this owner bought it for; a sturdy, reliable, relatively low-maintenance classic, ideal for (preferably young) family outings or relaxed touring for a lone driver or couple. This example can also hold its head up at the local shows.

Robust or not, bodywork concerns are creeping in with classics of this age, but these have been thoroughly taken care of with this car. And the mechanicals are sound.

With all the bases covered, we think this understated, charming and versatile Mercedes will command a value of between £9,000 and £12,000. 

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the seller in Ilkley; to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

This vehicle is not with us at The Market’s HQ, which means we have had to rely on the owner’s description of it, in conjunction with the photographs you see here, to compile the listing.

With this in mind, we would encourage potential bidders to contact the owner themselves and arrange to view the car in person, or to arrange a dedicated video call in which they can view the car virtually and ask questions.