I Finally Bought the Car I Couldn't Stop Thinking About: A W123 Owner's Story

There are some cars you get into, and within 500 yards, you just know. For me, that car was a Mercedes W123. It was a white 240D I drove years ago for work, and I didn’t want to give the keys back. I knew, right then, that one day I had to have one of my own.

That day finally came.

After nearly four years of driving everything from Aston Martins to once-common street furniture that’s now vanished from British roads, I saved up enough and found the right car. A 1983 Mercedes 200. Petrol. Classic white. And it’s mine.

Buying a Car I’d Never Seen

I bought it at the WB & Sons December auction without actually seeing it in person. That’s either brave or stupid, depending on your perspective. I prefer to think of it as well-researched optimism.

I did an extensive check of the MOT history. I looked at every photo and video WB & Sons had produced. I even asked James from WB personally if it was a good car, and he assured me it was as good as it looked.

He was right.

There’s no rot whatsoever. The sills, the arches, the bulkhead, the boot floor — all absolutely rock solid. The body is straight, with no major dings or dents. The chrome looks good. It’s a 40-year-old car with 123,000 miles on it, and it’s survived incredibly well.

I stuck a proxy bid in so I couldn’t get carried away with auction fever on the day. Half an hour after the sale finished, I got a phone call. I now owned a W123.

Why a Petrol, Not a Diesel

I know what you’re thinking. Everyone wants a diesel W123. I did too. But then you look at the values, and the math just doesn’t add up. You have to pay around double what I gave for this car to get into an equivalent diesel.

So I bought the 200 — the entry-level, carbureted, 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol. It’s not the fastest. It’s not the most desirable. But it’s still a W123. It’s still bombproof. And I’m not scared to pile the miles on it.

That’s the thing about these cars. Even a ropey one feels like a good take on the world and win. A good one feels like you could drive it forever.

The Drive Home

I collected the car and drove it 360 miles from Newcastle down to Kent. A car I’d only met a few hours prior. It made it without fault.

I’m really not surprised by that. I doubt any of you are either. But this car just felt utterly unburstable on that trip. And it did 34 miles to the gallon, which you can’t ask fairer than that.

There are some cars that just feel right immediately. This was one of them. The big springy seats. The bus-like steering wheel. The relaxed, sedate way it covers ground. It’s a proper cruiser.

You can’t hurry it. It’s a 200 petrol with about 100 horsepower if you’re lucky. Put your foot down and you’ll get to 50. Maybe 52. It’s not a sports saloon, this old girl. But that’s not why I bought it.

I’ve got my fiancée as a B-road bashing hooligan. This is a classic cruiser. A car I can just potter around in on weekends, go to some shows, take on the odd road trip. For that, a W123 in any guise is arguably the perfect car.

ll-stuff" aria-hidden="true" class="anchor" id="sorting-out-the-small-stuff">Sorting Out the Small Stuff

Once I got home, I started digging into the car a bit.

The battery was far too small, which meant the car was struggling to crank over and would go flat quickly. A correct-size battery was duly ordered and fitted.

The tires were Michelins with plenty of tread — but they were from 1998. I like that vintage mainly because that’s the year I was born, but I don’t want my tires from that year. Four brand-new Falkens were ordered and installed, which made the car a lot smoother riding.

As is quite common for W123s, water got under the window seal and rotted out a couple of holes. Whenever it rained, water was going straight into the boot. My dad and I took the rear window out, a local body shop cut out all the rust and fiberglass that was hidden back there, welded it up solid, and painted it. Then we fitted the rear window back in ourselves.

What It’s Like to Live With

With the car sorted, I could actually get on with using it and enjoying it. And I was reminded quite how much I love these cars.

The interior is in remarkably tidy condition. Blue cloth, which pairs really nicely with the white exterior. I’m not a fan of leather seats, so this was a great choice. There’s a little bit of glove box lid sag, but that’s typical of a W123. I’ve never seen one without it.

All the wood is nice and straight. It’s not flaking off or needing to be redone. The only change I’ve made is fitting a more modern head unit so I can Bluetooth my phone to it. But it’s still retro-looking, with that big Hi-Fi look. It fits the car perfectly.

Everything still clunks and clicks exactly as it should. Everything electrical works. It really does feel like you could drive this car forever.

The Dent

I have to confess something. There is one ding on the car. Just here, on the wing. I’m not proud of it because it’s my fault.

I went for a little cruise one afternoon with a spare battery in the boot for my fiancée. I forgot it was in there. Went round a corner with a bit of gusto, shall we say. It slid over and dented the wing from within. It’s broken the paint as well.

Other than that, the car really does look the part. It’s lasted 40 years and 123,000 miles incredibly well.

Why It Matters

I’ve had the opportunity to drive a lot of old cars through my job. Cars we’ve borrowed for filming, members of the Classics World fleet like the Cortina or the Bentley. But I’ve never actually owned a car older than 1999.

So the opportunity to own a great example of one of my favourite classics, in really nice condition, for a fair price — it’s a dream come true.

My ultimate dream car is still a Citroën DS. It always will be. But after a few months with this lovely example of a classic Merc, I’d have to think long and hard about swapping the keys for one.

Because this car makes me smile. It’s such a lovely cruiser. It’s got that Mercedes solidity. And it feels like it’ll outlast me.

That’s the W123 promise. And it’s one this car delivers on every single day.