The W123 model range is one of the most successful in Mercedes-Benz history, with the line-up encompassing saloons, coupes, estates and limousines of all manner of spec levels and purposes. There was a time when every taxi across Western Europe and beyond was a W123 saloon with an indestructible oil-burner under the bonnet, while the two-door coupes have perennially been a high watermark of swank across the more salubrious parts of London. And, of course, the wagons have always been popular as dependable, load-lugging family cars with oodles of equipment and endless practicality. Technically designated ‘S123’, the estate variant was the marque’s first ever factory-built station wagon, and its runaway success proved instantly that it was a jolly good idea.

The 123 line overall ran for rather a long time, from 1976-86, and naturally there were a number of updates along the way; the car we have here, being a 1985 model, is one of the last of the line and is categorised as a ‘Series Three’. These post-’82 cars featured such updates as rectangular headlights, standard-fit power steering across the range, Zebrano wood trim in the dash and centre console, and cloth inserts in the door cards. There were also refinements to everyday running, including reduced wind noise thanks to improved trim strips along the roof. And what’s particularly notable about this car is that it has the optional third row of seats. Yes, that’s right – it’s a proper seven-seater! And the rearward-facing seats in the boot are particularly ingenious in their design – there’s plenty of space back there so the occupants aren’t crammed in, and they have proper seatbelts. But when you’re not using the rearmost seats, they can be folded away completely flat, not intruding on the boot’s load space at all. It really is a marvel of engineering. As, of course, is the W123 model line as a whole. No wonder these evergreen Mercs are in such high demand these days.

The current owner has had the 230 TE in his possession for around eighteen months, and has carried out a lot of work to get it up to the standard we see it at today. The car had previously been owned by a Mercedes mechanic so the oily bits were solid, but it was a little rough-and-ready so the new owner quickly drew up a to-do list and set about turning the car into what it ought to be. One decision made early on was that the car shouldn’t be taken off the road and torn down in some sort of in-depth resto effort, but instead be treated as a sort of rolling restoration so that he and the family could enjoy the car and take it on trips and holidays, carrying out improvements here and there as time allowed. The biggest task was to treat it to a full respray in its original colour, and it’s also received a new gearbox, new front springs, a new exhaust system, and a fresh battery. The MOT was carried out in July and the car has been in regular use; the only reason for sale is that, as a keen motoring enthusiast, the owner is ready for the next project.

There’s a pleasingly chunky file of documentation with this 230 TE, including such rare treats as the original type approval sheet with all of the car’s unique codes, and the original first aid kit – which is perished, but complete! The correct owner’s manual is present, as are the manuals for the factory-equipment Blaupunkt stereo, and a sheaf of receipts and invoices for various parts and services over the years. The service book features 23 stamps, and the car comes with its original (tested and working) spare key in its dealer-supplied leather pouch.

There’s a lot to love about the W123 estate’s interior – it’s a perfectly judged balance of comfort and functionality. These Series Three cars have the wood dash and centre console, and you can see here it’s all in excellent condition with no lacquer peel. The car’s fitted with its original Blaupunkt Montreal radio-cassette, which is working as it should – as is the electric aerial. The light-coloured trim on the seats and door cards is all in good condition with no noticeable marks or stains, no rips or tears. The front armrest is present and operational. The storage nets on the rear of the front seats have sagged a little, but this is to be expected.

The rearmost seats in the boot come equipped with seatbelts, and the bench folds away flat into the boot floor just as it should; for when they’re not in use, the car also comes with its correct foldaway parcel shelf. On one side of the boot is a covered spare wheel (which has a good tyre), and on the other is a hideaway compartment containing the first aid kit and warning triangle. The headlining is good throughout, only coming a little loose at the very rear close to the tailgate. The car is equipped with a mechanical sunroof, which the seller has indicated works just fine. The carpets are in good order and covered with quality mats. All of the dials and switchgear appear to be fully functional.

The straightness and tidiness of this car really makes a statement. It’s often the case that W123 estates can get banged about a bit, being either family wagons or tradesmen’s vehicles, but this one is impressively straight, with no panel damage or dents, no wonky shut-lines, everything looks correct. Within the past eighteen months it’s had a full respray in its original colour – a job which was actually carried out twice, as the body shop sprayed it in slightly the wrong shade first, and it was then corrected with a fresh new coat.

The bodywork can be described as very good to excellent; there are a few very minor blemishes, including a small scab of rust at the bottom edge of the windscreen in the centre of the panel’s edge, some corrosion to the bottom of the front valance, a small spot of surface rust at the front edge of the roof above the windscreen on the passenger side, and some corrosion bubbling under the paint on the driver’s side B-pillar. There’s also a stone chip on the driver’s side headlight, and a small bloom in the paint on the sunroof. Overall, however, this really is a beautifully presented example – everything is present and correct, the chrome is excellent, and the new paint sparkles fabulously in the sunshine. The doors and boot all shut with the pleasing thunk you’d expect. These cars came with roof rails as standard, and this one comes with its optional bolt-on ski rails too.

Buying a Mercedes-Benz of this age comes with certain expectations – their reputation precedes them, and you expect them to be reliable and dependable. And this one truly is – the 2.3-litre four-cylinder motor is in fine fettle, firing up eagerly after a couple of spins of the starter; it’s reportedly a strong unit and an excellent runner, which has served well as a family car. And, being a London car, you’ve got that baked-in reassurance that it can sit in traffic without overheating.

The gearbox has recently been replaced, and this is all working well. The owner has also recently replaced the front suspension springs and fitted a new battery. The wheels are in decent condition and have Mercedes star dust-caps (a purist may wish to carry out a minor refurb to perfect the wheels’ lips, but the wheels themselves are solid) and the tyres have plenty of tread. Everything appears to be straight throughout the chassis, with no accident kinks or structural corrosion. The owner assures us that everything is as it should be with the suspension, steering and brakes. It’s all just as solid and dependable as you’d expect a W123 to be. And having parked it on a very slippery slipway for the photoshoot, you can take our word for it that the handbrake works very well…

The enthusiasm for these iconic estates is sky-high right now. We seeded a few photos from our shoot on social media and the response was phenomenal, with dozens of people commenting that they grew up travelling in the rearmost seats of a rugged old W123 wagon – the nostalgia is strong, and nostalgia is what fuels the market.

This really is the archetypal usable classic; the perfect retro alternative to a modern SUV. While many are tempted by the easy finance and whatnot of a new Qashqai, that’s not where family memories are made, and you might be surprised by just how practical the 7-seat 230 TE is: the body may appear modestly proportioned in today’s traffic, but the interior has truly Tardis-like properties. This particular car is ready for action too – the owner has carried out a variety of jobs, both mechanical and cosmetic, over the last eighteen months to get the car where it needs to be, and now it’s ready to be pressed into regular daily use. This isn’t a Merc that comes with a lengthy to-do list, it’s one that’s just as eager and willing to serve as it has been for the last thirty-five years.