This 1978 Mercedes-Benz 240D reportedly remained with its original owner for 40 years and 450k miles before it was acquired by the seller in January 2018. Finished in Maple Yellow over Bamboo MB-Tex upholstery, the car is powered by a factory replacement 2.4-liter diesel inline-four paired with a 4-speed manual transmission. Maintenance completed in March 2019 included an oil change, tire rotation, and inspection. Now showing 455k miles, this W123 was recently featured in the Mercedes-Benz Club of America’s magazine and is offered with service records since new, owner’s manuals, the original data plate, a tool kit, brochures, and a clean California title in the seller’s name.

The exterior is finished in the factory shade of Maple Yellow (606) and received a repaint in 2001 at 333k miles. A professional steam-cleaning and detailing was carried out in April 2018 at a cost of over $1,300. Nicks near the driver’s door, on the trunk lid, and on the rear bumper are shown up close in the photo gallery below.

14” steel wheels wear ventilated covers with body-colored centers and are mounted with Michelin Defender tires with 2014 date codes. US lighting and bumpers are retained. The front bumper was re-chromed in 2001, and the hood ornament was also replaced at that time. The California blue plate remains in use, and the front plate is included and shown in the gallery.

The cabin is trimmed in Bamboo MB-Tex (104) with matching loop carpeting and a black dash accented with Zebrano wood trim. The interior was detailed in April 2018, including cleaning the trunk and inside the spare tire well. Air conditioning is equipped, and climate control is adjusted manually. The seller has installed a factory-correct Becker Europa stereo.

The 6-digit odometer currently shows more than 455k miles, 5k of which have been added by the seller during 14 months of ownership. The car was reportedly daily driven and garage-stored by the original owner.

The 2.4-liter OM616 inline-four is a factory replacement engine that was installed 122k miles ago in 2001 by Grimm Performance in Costa Mesa, California. Other work at that time included rebuilding the 4-speed manual transmission. An oil change was completed by Dan’s Automotive in Costa Mesa, California in March 2019, with a tire rotation and inspection also carried out. The seller states that a mechanic confirmed the engine to be a factory replacement component during the recent inspection.

A collection of service records dates back to when the car was new, and according to the seller the invoices add up to more than $60k. The 2001 invoice from Grimm Performance includes the replacement engine and repaint for a total of more than $10k and is shown in the gallery below. Records from the seller’s ownership also are included.

Additional underside photos are shown in the gallery below.

Included with the sale are the car’s data plate, owner’s manuals, 1978 brochures, and tool kit. A build sheet has been supplied by the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in Irvine, California, where the car was also inspected following the seller’s acquisition. Also included is a copy of the September/October 2018 issue of The Star magazine featuring an article written about the car by the seller.