Description
Our never-ending search for good 123 estates does not bear much fruit, but occasionally we find something special like this Orient Red 200T.
First registered May 1982, this 200T was specified with Orient Red paintwork with tan cloth interior. It has an automatic gearbox, painted hub caps, manual windows and a Blaupunkt Hamburg radio. It also gained a towbar at some point early in its life.
We don’t know much about its first owner, but the second were a couple near Clacton-on-Sea who acquired the car in 1987. They had the car maintained by Lancaster Mercedes of Ipswich as evidenced by the folder of bills.
We suspect the husband passed away in 2000 as ownership passed into his wife’s name. From there the mileage hardly goes up at all and it wasn’t MoT’d but she kept the car until 2015. We suspect the car was simply stored in the garage.
The next owner stored the car inside and fitted many new parts but did not drive the car.
It is evident that this car has been garaged the majority if not all of its life. There is no fading to the interior, the paintwork is majority original and nice with only minor blemishes, and it has never been welded and there’s no rot underneath. It is so rare to find a 123 estate this lovely and untouched. The load bay – usually well worn – looks like it has never been used!
We have finished off the recommissioning started by the last owner. This has included all new brakes including discs, pads, calipers, master cylinder, flexible hoses and fluid. New oils for the engine, transmission and differential along with all filters. Rebuilt carburettor, new fuel pump and hoses. New exhaust system. New radiator, thermostat and coolant. We’ve also fitted four new tyres and a new battery.
12 months MoT with no advisories, although being an ’82, it is eligible for Historic tax class, plus ULEZ and MoT exemption as soon as it transfers into the next owner’s name.
This is a super original car. It has never been restored; it still even has its original Blaupunkt radio. W123 estates (or S123s to give them their correct code) were bought to work by their first and subsequent owners, so they all got used up. Now with almost all being over 40 years old, there are very few well-preserved examples remaining, but this car is just that.
