1983 Mercedes-Benz 280 CE

As the most over-engineered car of its time, the W123 makes for an awesome daily driver classic – but only if you buy the right one.

And this one definitely ticks all the right boxes: a top-of-the-range, right-hand-drive, UK-spec car finished in Petrol Green Metallic, it was delivered new to Colonel John Head of the British Army in Cairo in 1983. He imported it to the UK in April 1984 and continued to faithfully record every detail of its life in its logbook until 2016, making for one of the most complete provenances of any car we’ve seen.

The car then passed to his nephew – another Colonel, of course – upon his death in around November 2016. It then joined the vendor’s older brother’s classic car collection in March 2017 and then moved to him in March 2018.

Only having covered around 800 miles since being in his care, the vendor now has his eye on a Bentley Turbo, hence this sale. Being offered with a very sensible guide price and an even more reasonable reserve, this is your opportunity to buy the W123 you’ve always promised yourself – that it has such a fascinating and well-documented history just sweetens the deal.

The Petrol Green Metallic coachwork is very straight indeed. With tight and even shutlines, ripple-free flanks, and an impressive overall fit ‘n’ finish to the panels and trim, the car presents every bit as well as you’d expect given its previous owners. The paintwork itself is very good too - but then you’d expect nothing less from a man who recorded the times he polished it, wouldn’t you?

The absence of B-pillars make for a wonderful side profile with the windows rolled down; few cars are as effortlessly cool as the W123 and the coupe surely sits at the very peak of that distinguished family tree. Other nice features include a regimental emblem, a period AA radiator grille badge, and a huge sunroof.

The 14-inch wheels are in good shape and only lightly scuffed on their outer edges. They are also fitted with wonderful chrome and body colour wheeltrims, which hide the damage quite well. They’re shod with good tyres too, all of which still have decent tread.

Problems are few. The nearside corner of the front bumper is bent and a little corroded. Aside from that and some scratches on the chrome trim surrounding the doors, one of the tyres could do with replacing; doing this across the axle would also allow the new owner to fit four matching tyres, something that is never a bad idea.

The ‘wooden’ veneer might not be the most convincing faux wood you’ll ever see but there’s no denying its condition; with only the lightest of patination, it still looks utterly terrific.

As do the seats. Still firm and springy, they’re pretty much as resilient and comfortable as they were when they were fitted 37 years ago. The covers are in good shape following some strategic reupholstery of the seat squabs of the front seats; with only the odd minor mark remaining to detract from their appearance, what little wear there is could easily be chalked up to the car’s developing patina – and that the patina is still only developing after almost four decades tells you all you need to know about the car’s bullet-proof engineering.

It’s still got what appears to be the original Blaupunkt Cambridge radio/cassette player too and while it, like the minor controls, could do with a damned good clean, its presence is not to be underestimated.

The rest is in a similar condition, which is to say that while it’s not perfect it’s certainly wearing much better than that of almost any of its contemporaries and we can’t see that many folk would find much to complain about following a deep clean.

The spare wheel and el cheapo tyre might not be a startlingly good example of the breed but the rest of the boot is in an incredible condition. A rust-free floor is covered by a very good carpet, and even the hard plastic trim is barely marked. Even the boot springs are clean and still painted, and the whole ensemble reeks of careful curation and only light use.

In fact, the only real issues are a couple of the air vents, which need the ducting reconnecting.

The servicing regimen is as impressive as the rest of the car and it is meticulously detailed in the service history booklet by way of 34 stamps and many old invoices.

Backing this up is the MOT certificate, which is valid until December 2020 and was gained without a single advisory point.

It has a number of expired MOT certificates plus a sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it over the years. The service history book has 34 stamps in it and the paperwork even includes proof of Colonel John Head’s 21-year no-claims bonus, a minor point but one that hints at this car’s untroubled past and likely lack of accident damage.

More recently, the Mercedes was serviced in December 2019. Well, we say ‘serviced’ but the resulting bill for £2,287 included a new battery, a genuine centre and rear MB exhaust system plus front and rear brake discs and pads, a front brake caliper and a track rod end in addition to the usual service items.

We’ve driven it and aside from a slight rattle from the front offside suspension it drives every bit as well as you’d imagine given its pampered life.

The engine bay itself is pretty without being prissy. Nicely presented, only the drooping and moth-eaten sound insulation really needs attention unless you are ultra-fastidious.

The underside is even better. With only the lightest smattering of superficial surface rust, it is incredibly well preserved and needs nothing. Originality buffs will appreciate the brand-new, genuine Mercedes-Benz exhaust; a small thing but one that goes to the heart of this car’s no-expense-spared history.

It also still has its original owner’s handbook, book pack, and storage wallet plus two sets of keys and the original sales invoice showing the purchase price of 48,200 Deutsch Marks. There are old V5s too, showing both Colonels plus that wonderfully evocative 'Captain's Log' showing every tankful of fuel, journey, service – and polish.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very good standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

The W123 is a perennially popular model with classic car enthusiasts who appreciate its style and complete reliability. Always guaranteed to draw a huge amount of interest, even mediocre examples find a ready market among folk for whom modern-day cars hold little appeal.

And this is very, very far from being mediocre. With an unparalleled history and essentially only two family owners from new, its first 33 years were spent in the hands of just the one owner, a man who could accurately be described as painstaking in his approach to maintenance and record keeping.

And yet, for all their style and reliability the price of even the best W123 hasn’t risen to the heights we think they warrant. This one has a guide price of anywhere between £9,000 and £15,000, which is a staggeringly small sum for such a beautifully maintained machine.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; 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’.