(EXPANDED FROM 10/9/2020)
When I think of Mercedes-Benz, the car that comes most quickly to mind is the W123. Introduced in 1976, this was the automaker’s entry-level offering up through 1982, when the smaller W201 was introduced (Wikipedia, 2016).
The W123 was designed to be the workhorse Mercedes. So even though it was offered in a two-door hardtop, the four-door sedan and wagon body styles were more iconic. Perhaps the most iconic of all were the diesel models.
The W123 pictured here is a 240D sedan, which rose to cult status in the Pacific Northwest among environmentally-conscious drivers who wanted a comfortable but practical car. Instead of using conventional diesel, some have run their cars on “biofuels” such as ethanol or vegetable oils.
The W123 ended production more than 30 years ago, so most environmentally-oriented drivers have moved on to hybrid and electric cars. Nevertheless, this generation of Mercedes is a powerful reminder of a time when its cars were distinctly different from anything else on the road — particularly compared to Detroit’s baroque fare in the 1970s.
W123 showed how form could artfully follow function
During the W123’s production run, which ended in 1986, Mercedes-Benz insisted in its advertising that “form follows function.” This was a remarkably subversive corporate philosophy given the American auto industry’s worship of form above all else — practicality, safety, reliability, environmental sustainability and even customer satisfaction.
In then-typical Mercedes fashion, the W123’s styling eschewed pretty much all of the trendy excesses of the brougham era. Well, except for the radiator grille with hood ornament, which virtually everyone else copied from Mercedes. Indeed, the “Mercedes look” had a remarkably outsized influence on Detroit design in the 1970s and 1980s in light of the German automaker’s relatively low sales in the United States.
Even the W123’s radiator grille was unusual, in that it was tapered to be aerodynamic rather than boxy. The same was true of the front fender edges. Through much of the 1970s, American cars usually had forward-jutting fender blades that undercut aerodynamics. The above-shown 1976 Cadillac Eldorado illustrates this design fad.
Instead of trafficking in two-tone paint and pin stripes, the W123’s sides were graced with scuff-resistant mouldings. Meanwhile, the rather plain front bumper made utilitarian use of rubber. In contrast, most American cars that had not yet switched to body-colored bumpers were still dominated by acres of chrome in all manner of fancy shapes.
Mercedes was not afraid to reject the brougham look
In the 1970s American automakers were still competing with each other to make their cars look lower, longer and wider. The relatively tall greenhouses of American sedans in the 1960s gave way to a turret-topped look, replete with huge vinyl-covered C-pillars, frameless door glass and hidden windshield wipers. General Motors’ full-sized cars went a step further by offering windshields that almost seamlessly wrapped into the front-door windows.
Also see ‘Late-1960s Ford car design film shows US automakers losing it’
Here again, Mercedes took the opposite approach. The W123’s greenhouse was exceptionally tall and offered terrific visibility in all directions. Unusually large rain gutters on the A-pillars channeled water away from the side windows. Windshield wipers didn’t get frozen in place because they were exposed, but they also didn’t glare in the sun because they were painted flat black.
The rear was as simple and functional as the rest of the car. There was no fake spare-tire hump and fancy taillights embedded in an elaborately shaped rear bumper. Instead, the taillights were large, included amber turn signals and wrapped around the side of the car for maximum visibility. The ribbed design reportedly channeled air flow to keep the taillight lenses cleaner.
Marketing proudly emphasized Mercedes’ iconoclasm
It’s hard to see how such an untrendy design could have possibly sold well without an advertising campaign that played up what was different about the car. Fortunately, Mercedes recognized what it needed to do.
Also see ‘Yes, but WHY do today’s automobiles look so similar?’
Today what I most appreciate about the W123 is that it looks unmistakably like a Mercedes-Benz. The design language is unique to this generation yet carries over more elements from its predecessors than was typical for an automaker, either then or now. Equally important, the W123 looked like a high-quality car without being pretentious, tacky or trendy.
That’s the opposite of the automaker’s more recent designs, which could be confused for another luxury brand if you didn’t see the three-pointed star. Mercedes is now just another high-priced brand trafficking in fashion statements that will become passé all too quickly.
NOTES:
This story was originally posted on Dec. 5, 2016 and expanded on Oct. 9, 2020 and May 26, 2023.
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RE:SOURCES
- Wikipedia; 2016. “Mercedes-Benz W123.” Accessed Dec. 6.
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- oldcarbrochures.org: Buick (1973)
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