Highlights
- Recently imported from South Africa
- Lovely interior condition
- Runs and drives well
- All import paperwork complete and ready to register
- Vendor happy to assist with registration for the new owner
The Appeal
The W114 & W115 Mercedes’ are known for being some of the most dependable vehicles on the planet, with some of these plugging on for hundreds of thousands of miles. As there are only 81,000 KM showing on the odometer there is more than enough life left in it to enjoy.
This example has just been imported into the UK in this amazing condition. It has been imported by the Vendor who specialises in the importation of vehicles from South Africa so you are in good hands should you need help getting the car registered for the UK roads.
The History and Paperwork
- Starting its life in 1975 manufactured in the Mercedes factory in South Africa (during the time the South Africa factory was considered equal to the German factories if not in excess of quality)
- It has stayed there until very recently where it has been imported into the country for you to enjoy
- All of the import duties and taxes have been paid
- It is now ready for you to register it on the UK roads and be the first owner in this country
- Unlike here in the UK, the South Africans don’t tend to keep a thorough history, so there is a small paper trail for the car
- The interior may have received some work in its life as it is in very good condition
- The bodywork has been kept in great condition mainly thanks to the sunny climate of South Africa
- It is now your chance to add to this vehicle’s history and become the first UK owner
- This will be a great classic family wagon to haul you around the country and beyond.
- MOT and Tax exempt
The Interior
- Beautiful tan seats
- Well preserved trim
- Lots of space
- Huge boot
Upon opening the door, you are presented with a very clean black and tan interior, which complements the pale exterior colour very well indeed. It is hard to say whether or not this vehicle has been restored but looking at the seats and plastic dash it may have had some interior love.
Looking at the seats first we can see that they look amazing. The tan colour is very in fashion at the moment, and we can see why when they make the interior look this good. The material on all of these seats is practically mark free with no nasty rips or tears either. Not only are they in great condition, but they’re also very comfortable indeed.
To match the tan seats the door cards have also been finished in the same colour and material, these too are presented well. There is however a slight crack to the driver’s door bin, it shouldn’t be a deal breaker however when the rest of the interior is this good.
If a car has lived a lot of its life in a hot and sunny climate the black plastics dash tends to crack over time. However, the dash of this Mercedes is void of any of these nasty cracks. This condition is then mirrored by the centre console plastic which is extremely clean indeed.
Towards the rear of the car, the boot is nice and clean. When you first open the boot you may be shocked by the amount of space there is, you could quite easily fit all your holiday bags in here, or a few golf bags if that is what you prefer. Within the boot, you will also find a set of blinds for the rear window.
Some of the smaller elements of the interior, such as the carpets and headliner are also presented very well. There really is no downside to the inside of this classic Mercedes, you and your passengers will be travelling everywhere in great comfort.
The Exterior
- Solid bodywork
- The exterior trim is in nice condition
- Lovely looking car
Classic Mercedes’ have a look that is not rivalled by any other classic saloon. The vertical rectangular lights paired with the large grille and three pointed star bonnet emblem make for a characterful face that you just don’t get with modern cars.
The exterior of this 230 is presented in good condition, on the whole, the panels are nice and straight with little to no corrosion. If you look closely, you may be able to pick up a few small dings that have probably been made by other careless drivers in car parks. There are a few stone chips on the front around the grille so you may wish to have these seen too before they become too much of an issue. These small, isolated areas of age-related wear should not put you off this otherwise well-presented classic Mercedes.
As this car has spent its life in the sun it is no surprise that it has been spared from an untimely end thanks to corrosion. Upon a quick visual inspection on the day of the photographs the inner arches looked to be in nice condition, and this was reflected underneath as well. Remarkable for a car of this age.
Another bonus for this car is that it still has all of its original colour matching hubcaps, you may wish to tart a few of these up, but on the whole, they are presented in good condition, and it is great to see that they have been preserved for this long.
The only slight snag on the exterior is a chip in the windscreen, but thanks to its placement it should still go through an MOT without being too much of an issue.
Overall, the exterior of this Mercedes is presented in very good condition indeed, after an afternoon spent cleaning her up you will have a very presentable classic Mercedes.
The Mechanics
- Starts, runs, and drives well
- 4-speed manual gearbox
- Dependable workhorse
This example comes from the time when Mercedes were producing some of their best mechanical work. You can now benefit from this legendary German engineering with your very own classic Mercedes.
When you lift the bonnet up of this example you are presented with an extremely clean engine bay indeed. What you are then looking at is the M115 inline-4 petrol engine, a wonderful and dependable petrol engine so with on 81,000KM on the clock, there should be a lot of life left in the old girl yet.
Unsurprisingly this Mercedes fired into life without any complaining on the day of the photoshoot, even though it had just completed its long voyage to the UK. It then manoeuvred into position a few times, slipping into first and reverse with no crunching or any other worrying noises.
It would appear that this 230-4 is in lovely mechanical condition and once it is registered for the UK roads it will treat you well throughout your ownership.
Summary
Whether you are just starting on your classic car journey or you are a serial collector this classic Mercedes should be on your shopping list. The sun of South Africa has preserved the bodywork extremely well, the interior is presented in lovely condition, and it benefits from well-engineered German mechanical elements. It really is the whole package that should reward you on every drive.
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