Quintessentially Mercedes Benz: 1976 Mercedes Benz 230E

The W123 chassis from Mercedes Benz is one of the more appraised and successful cars that came out of post-World War II Germany, and was one of the first cars from the company to be widely available all throughout the World as well as Europe.

Known to be one of the toughest and well-engineered vehicles from Mercedes (Daimler Benz at the time), when the car came out, there was a six to eight month waiting list to get a factory fresh model, and yet the W123 managed to sell 2.7 million examples, making it one of the most successful cars made by Mercedes Benz.
 
Due to its popularity, the W123 has grown a cult following around it, where a lot of enthusiasts enjoy the cars' floaty driving experience, comfort and the overall reliability the engine tends to provide.

This particular W123 is one of the very few examples to still retain its original engine and has barely been driven a little over 12,000km. Photo: Arfin Kazi

The W123 chassis came out in 1976, as a successor to the W114/W115, where the chassis bore a completely redesigned shape, and the redesigned vertical headlights were replaced by boxier headlights with a larger case, which sat flush with the grille in the middle.

The W123 also tends to retain a sharper, more angular shape, which was popular through the 80s, compared to its predecessor, which had a curvier nature. Although the cars have major differences in terms of design, the W123 is nearly the same as the W114/W115, where the W123 had a turbo diesel variant (300D) which was newer in their lineup.
 
The Blue Lab

For a model from an era right after the Liberation War in Bangladesh, a lot can be said about this 1976 Mercedes Benz W123 230E owned by fellow automobile collector and enthusiast Ziyaad Rahman, who managed to restore the car from the ground up to what can be seen now in the photos. Not many cars have survived 50 years of time to get to the present day.
 
Unlike a lot of old Mercedes Benzes from this era, which end up having most of the things swapped for their Japanese counterparts (mostly Toyota), this particular W123 bears all original OEM parts. Starting from the engine to the drivetrain, everything is up to spec with the 230E badge, which includes a 2.3L fuel injected inline-4 engine (M115) with a 4-speed transmission. 

During the restoration process, the factory fabric seats were wrapped in leather, which uplifts the look and feel, giving off an upgraded OEM status. Photo: Arfin Kazi

Upon acquiring the car, Ziyaad put the vehicle through a restoration process and a facelift, and he opted for French spec headlights with coloured fog lights rather than clear. The factory spec wheels with hubcaps, matched with the body panels and the OEM Blu Labrador colour from the factory, making the exterior pristine.
 
The interior also went through some changes as factory fabric seats were wrapped in leather, which uplifts the look and feel, while retaining the factory stitch pattern and quality, giving off an upgraded OEM status.
 
Mechanically, since the car retained its original components, a lot of the things were dated. A lot of the components were changed, such as suspension components, power steering and other bits and pieces to make the engine smoother - such as belts, bearings and other miscellaneous stuff that needed to be taken care of.
 
We asked the owner about the challenges and his experience with the restoration process and the final product.

 "Sourcing the parts locally and getting certain things working again was an issue, such as getting the AC to function properly. The cooling chamber was dated and leaking, so we had to source it from Malaysia, including exterior trim bits and pieces, like the chrome pieces on the side," said Ziyaad. He sourced most of the mechanical parts, such as the fuel injection and distributor, from Malaysia.

Ziyad Rahman replaced the stock headlights with French spec ones, which came with coloured fog lights rather than clear. Photo: Arfin Kazi

"Now that the car is finally completely overhauled. All it needs is basic maintenance, like any other regular car. Engine oil and the various filters are easily available locally, and it is a hassle-free experience. The car drives like a dream; smooth and floaty, it is always enjoyable cruising with it, no matter the circumstances," he added.
 
The W123 was perhaps the best car that came out of a Mercedes Benz plant at that time. Being one of the first cars focusing on driver and passenger safety, the W123 units could go over a hundred thousand kilometres, with little to no fixing required with the engine, and thus a lot of these cars have been used as taxis as well.

The W123 was a revolutionary chassis for Mercedes, which plough, rendering it what we see today.