Volume 3 of the series. 19 pages on buying a W123, from my own research at shows, at auctions and in workshops. Edition 1, as of August 2026. Written in Germany, where most of these cars come from.

„You cannot kill one of these“ is the sentence I hear about the 123 more than about any other car. It is roughly true, and that is exactly what makes it dangerous. Anyone who believes they are buying an indestructible car stops looking properly. Between an honest 240 D and a freshly undersealed cover up car there can be 15,000 euros that you pay after the purchase.

What is inside

• The W123 in outline: series, production figures and the September 1982 cut off
• Variants and engines: every series model of the German market, plus estate and coupé
• The turbodiesel trap: why almost every turbodiesel saloon in Europe is a US import
• Which variant suits you, and the two I stay away from
• Two pages on body and rust, including the rear semi trailing arms
• Engine, gearbox, suspension and steering, with valve clearance and oil pressure as their own check points
• The vacuum system: the blind spot of most buying guides
• Parts availability and a cost table with parts and labour time, so you can do the sums for your own workshop rate
• Market prices by model and condition on the German market, as of August 2026, with the method laid open
• Inspection checklist with 38 points to tick off, to print or to use on a tablet
• Test drive, negotiation, purchase and what comes after

Format
PDF, 19 pages, in English. Available for download immediately after payment.

A note on the prices
The price chapter describes the German market. Germany is where a large share of these cars are bought and exported from, so the figures tell you what the car costs at the source. They are not a price guide for your own country. Everything else, the weak points, the checklist and the running costs, applies wherever the car stands.

What this guide is not
It is not a substitute for an inspection in person, and it is not a professional valuation. For the coupé and the 280 E that goes double: take someone with you who knows the model. The guide makes sure you both know what to look at.