1984 Mercedes-Benz 300-Series

300-D Sedan

3 litre diesel

5 speed manual (717400)

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Diesel

Offered here are the rarest examples of a Mercedes 123 chassis model 300-D Turbo Diesel we have ever seen. It is a meticulously maintained car that has been wonderfully maintained and carefully driven. It is perhaps one of the nicest driving 300-D we have ever seen for a number of reasons. Not the least of them being the incredibly rare original 5 speed manual transmission. This car is also rare because it is a one owner car that had been originally purchased on a program with the World Bank. The executives at that time were entitled to bring in one car directly from Germany for personal use only. The secondary resale of these Euro program cars was extremely restrictive at the time and few of them remain in existence today. In addition to the 5-speed transmission (717400), the Euro cars also usually featured hubcaps; simple option packages (no power windows, sun roof or cruise control). and manually controlled heat and a/c controls. None of which hurts the amazing dependability of these cars. As you can see from the overall condition, the former owner did not abuse this car and it still looks amazing after all these years. With 179,000 original miles on the odometer, this is actually a fairly low mileage car (an average of less than 6k a year). It is solid and simple. You could not buy a rarer or more unique version of a 123 Mercedes. DETAILS- VIN # WDB1231301A039215 Mileage- 179, 233 original miles (at the time of the photos, Sept. 5, 2012) Color- Mercedes non-metallic burgundy w. light tan MB Tex interior Engine- Mdl. OM 617 three liter five cylinder fuel injected diesel 90 horsepower Transmission- Five speed manual, mdl. 717400 Brakes- Dual circuit four wheel disc power assisted w/pad wear indicator. Suspension- Independent front and rear w/coil springs, diagonal swing axle, anti-roll control bar. Other features- MB Tex vinyl interior with front bucket seats, Air Conditioning, Power steering, electric antennae, high end replacement Sony AM/FM CD radio, real Zebrano wood trim, dual headlights with amber driving lights, smaller chrome plated Chrome plated European code bumpers w. rubber strips, 2 sets of chrome plated hub caps with painted inserts (one the body color, the other the interior color).both sets are included with the car. The car also includes the original owners manual, service booklet and full tool set along with the original mint condition spare tire (never used) and emergency jack. MECHANICAL IMPROVEMENTS This car has a new battery, full set of four new radial tires, two sets of hub caps, replaced hoses, filters, excellent windshield and glass, new rotors, pads and brake lines. The front end suspension has been completely redone and any and all worn parts have been replaced. This car runs and sounds like a new car! The fluids are all new, the engine has been fully serviced and the radiator flushed and refilled. BODY AND PAINT- Excellent body and paint (a few small ripples in the back driver’s side door, a few miscellaneous scratches and one palm sized dent in the hood). There is also a few dents under the bumper of the car but nothing of any significance. Overall the paint is very shiny and a really nice color for this particular car. As we said before, it is a very solid body and just an amazing looking car in its European trim package. The owner was always meticulous about the appearance and maintenance of this car and it shows. TRIM- All chrome trim and moldings in excellent condition. It has new grill and insert, new headlight doors, nice headlights, new Mercedes grill symbol and badge. The trim on this car is all very good to excellent. INTERIOR- Overall excellent condition- No visible cracks in the dash, no tears in the headliner or door panels, rear seat perfect, passengers seat excellent to near perfect, drivers excellent with only a few small tears in the lower panel. The springs in the seats are firm but need a little re-padding to be perfect.. Wood trim is in excellent condition and the entire dash panel and console are excellent. Excellent interior chrome and all switches and gauges are solid and crisp. All the carpets are in excellent condition (it has the old style carpets) and the car comes with mint Mercedes floor mats and vinyl weather mats. As you can clearly see from the pictures, there is not serious wear or discoloration and overall the interior is excellent plus. ENGINE COMPARTMENT- Unusually clean (especially for a diesel) with no oil deposits, battery spray or discoloration. Engine and wiring are very clean and well maintained. (see pics) This car is unusual because most 300-D’s of this vintage have extremely high mileage and have been heavily abused. It is also unusual because the Euro code cars don’t usually make it this long in the first place. This car is truly one of the finest and low mileage 123 cars in this area. It has a nice color combination and the overall condition is superb . It may be the rarest 123 car in the country currently up for sale. The car has always (from new and currently) been kept in a heated garage. This contributed to the excellent condition of the interior, the trim and the paint. This car has always been pampered and well maintained. It looks and drives like a newer car. This car is simply mechanically solid and runs and drives better than any 123 car we have seen in a long time!!. , A new car has an average of 50 onboard computers. This car has none! As a matter of fact, this car runs without an electric ignition. Additionally, the heat is fine and the A/C blows cold. This car is also amazingly quiet (for a diesel) as well as squeaks and rattles free. According to some estimates, this car with the rare 5 speed will get over 35 mpg or more on the highway and as much as 28 in the city. Its top speed is over 90 mph and it cruises very comfortably at 70 mph. This IS NOT A SHOW CAR! Those of you who have any doubt to the condition and representations within this description are welcome to come see for yourself (prior to final auction). If you have any technical questions, we can put you in touch with the Mercedes factory trained technician who owns this car. If you are looking for the ultimate rare 123 car in amazing condition, than you are in the right place. If you are close to Rockville, Md. (and the D.C. area in general) then we encourage you to see and drive the car in person. If you drive this car we are confident that you will want to buy it! As we said before, It is currently located in an inside parking garage under a cover and driven only a few times a week. This is a 30 year old car this year and in most states it will qualify for very inexpensive antique or vintage vehicle tags. Insurance for this car (according to the current owner) is less than $120.00 per year (from Hagerty) and we estimate under current fuel prices that it costs about 18 cents a mile to operate. Good luck with your bidding and we are confident that you will not be disappointed with the condition, the rarity, or the mechanical soundness and fine appearance of this classic Mercedes 300-D. Note: The deposit of $500.00 is non refundable.On Oct-07-12 at 06:39:22 PDT, seller added the following information: Note: There was a mistake made in the description. This car is not equipped with a turbo diesel. Please accept our apologies for this error!