Mercedes-Benz is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the mighty W123, the predecessor of the current E-Class. The W123 was introduced in January 1976 and was an instant success. According to the German car manufacturer, the first year production run was sold shortly after the launch.
As a result, Mercedes-Benz has developed a variety of versions. We are talking about a coupe, an estate and also a long-wheelbase that was 24.8 inches longer than the standard model.
More than that, the W123 sedan was sold in nine different variants ranging from 200 D to 280 E.
If we are talking about the engine, Mercedes-Benz W123 had a lot. The range included a 2.5-liter six-cylinder petrol with 127 horsepower and a five-cylinder turbodiesel with 123 hp. But there were also some interesting alternative powertrains including here a bi-fuel engine that could run on petrol or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
In 1983 the German car manufacturer developed a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle and an electric concept. In terms of safety, the W123 had a robust passenger cell and larger crumple zones.
The Mercedes-Benz W123 was discontinued in 1986 and by the time, the car was sold in about 2.7 million units.
