Mercedes-Benz W123

The Mercedes-Benz W123 is a range of executive cars that Mercedes-Benz built from November 1975 to January 1986, replacing the W114 and W115 series. It was offered as a four-door saloon, a two-door coupe (C123), a long-wheelbase limousine (V123) and, from 1977, the first factory-built Mercedes-Benz estate (S123). About 2.7 million were sold, which made it the most successful Mercedes-Benz up to that time, and it gained a reputation for durability, with many German taxis covering 500,000 kilometres or more. The range carried over four- and five-cylinder petrol and diesel engines from its predecessors and in September 1979 introduced the OM617 A, described as the first turbocharged diesel engine in a passenger car. It reached North America with the 1977 model year, where Motor Trend named it Import Car of the Year for 1977.