Test drive Mercedes from "Berezka" of the legendary W123

This Mercedes-Benz W123 was bought new in the USSR and has never seen European roads. Almost 40 years later, it remains in its original state and reflects at once two bygone eras: Soviet deficit and German reliability. 

Time is clearly visible right through him. Reminds of itself with bubbles under the golden-green paint, red fringe on the wings, worn leather in the cabin. This Mercedes-Benz W123 is far from the best among almost three million of its kind, but if it were restored to a museum state, the essence would be lost. After all, this is a living story: the sedan was bought completely new in the Beryozka store, and its first owner was the famous conductor Yevgeny Svetlanov. And after that, nothing was done to the car, apart from maintenance.

In general, is it conceivable to buy a new Mercedes in the USSR? It is clear that for an ordinary and even a wealthy person this was impossible - he had to enter high society. But at the same time, the purchase itself, in the presence of currency and the right to spend it, was technically legal, because back in 1974 Mercedes-Benz opened an official representative office in the Union - the first among the capitalist auto concerns!

Trucks, buses and special equipment were delivered to us, "Mercedes" served in the traffic police and government agencies, Leonid Brezhnev and Vladimir Vysotsky drove the W116 representatives. Of course, the score still went to dozens, to a maximum of hundreds of cars throughout the country, but a special attitude towards the three-pointed star began to form just then.

And after the fall of the "Iron Curtain", when second-hand foreign cars poured into our country, it was the W123 that became one of the main automobile heroes of the new Russia. Imported copies were already more than solid, but they continued to drive and drive, completely refusing to break. Perhaps, it was reliability and indestructibility that became the qualities that ensured the "one hundred and twenty-third" not only Russian, but also worldwide success: this is the most massive model in the history of Mercedes-Benz!

Moreover, at the time of its debut in 1976, the W123 was already, if not archaic, then rather conservative. The body shape is not far from the previous W114 / W115, the starting line of engines migrated unchanged from there along with the design of the rear suspension, the front double wishbone and the steering gear were taken from the W116. But this, as it turned out, was what the customers needed: proven solutions assembled by engineers into a well-balanced, harmonious ensemble.

And it's a pleasure to deal with him even today. Surprisingly, a car that is almost half a century old turns out to be quite relevant in terms of basic qualities. Landing behind the wheel is comfortable, there are perfectly clear instruments in front of your eyes, the light and the “stove” are controlled by the usual rotating handles. For a surcharge, it was possible to put here an air conditioner or automatic climate control, airbags, ABS, a cool audio system, full power accessories and even a telephone! In short, a well-equipped W123 can give odds to another modern car.

And how he goes! Everything that we put into the concept of a real Mercedes grows from here: amazing smoothness of the ride, complete indifference even to large pits, steadfastness at high speeds - it seems that the W123 creates its own road reality instead of adapting to the one offered to it.

Yes, by today's standards, he is leisurely. Our modification 200 with a two-liter carburetor engine for 109 forces gains the first hundred in about 14 seconds, and a three-stage "automatic" requires a certain amount of exposure. But the W123 does everything with such dignity that you absolutely don't want to fuss on it - and if you needed more dynamics, then there were other versions to choose from. For example, a 185-horsepower 280 E with a top speed of 200 kilometers per hour.

And the most surprising thing was that the chassis was quite capable of handling even less power. All our knowledge of Mercedes says they have to be sloppy, lazy and aloof, but the W123 is surprisingly lively. Yes, he does not rush to attack the turn at the slightest movement of the thin steering wheel, but pleases with responsiveness, understandable feedback and tenacity even at high speeds. Of course, with some adjustment for age, but without something that would force to treat him like an oldtimer.

You understood correctly: even today you can drive this car every day without experiencing serious difficulties. It does not require adaptation, it provides comfort that is inaccessible to most modern cars, and in addition, it surrounds you with the atmosphere of something very cozy, real and correct. It seems that these values ​​will be relevant at all times, which means that in another 40 years someone will probably decide to test the immortal W123. And again he will be pleasantly surprised.