While in Washington DC for Memorial Day last year, I saw an older black ('83 - '85 era) MB diesel wagon that was in service as a taxi.

It drove within 10 feet of me, from behind as my wife & I crossed the street, and from the sound of the engine I knew before I even saw it that it was a diesel MB.

Unfortunatley the guy was in a hurry, and I couldn't flag him down. I'd loved to have talked with the driver and seen the odometer.

So - who else has seen older MB diesels in service as Taxi's in the US...?

- Patrick

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1982 240D. 198k, Marine Blue/Blue, 4 Speed, Crank Windows, No Sunroof, No Rust, No Oil Leaks
2001 TDI. 197k, Lagoon Blue/Black, 5 speed, Chip, G60/VR6

I met a gentleman from Ashville (sp?) North Carolina who was starting a biodiesel taxi service using a small fleet of 300Ds. He was still in the phases of getting the various cars in good working order at the time I talked to him though.

I'd be interesting to see where else they are in service..

peace,
sam

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"That f***in' biodiesel is makin' me hungry."

1982 300TD Astral Silver w/ 250k (BIO BNZ)
2001 Aprilia SR50 Corsa Red w/ 5.5k (>100 MPG)

West LA/Santa Monica, CA has two taxi companies that use old MB diesels, mostly W126's but some 123's as well (mainly TDs). They're called Taxi!Taxi! and Excalibur. Much classier than the usual ratty Crown Vics, and the engines last a lot longer between rebuilds (though the Ford 4.6 V8s are doing 300k+, so maybe not that big a difference).

A friend of my worked as a Taxi driver in LA Jolla , CA, they only had Mercedes diesels. They even had a 240D, he hated it when it was his turn to drive it. But most were 300sd's.

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1979 Black on Black, 300CD (sold), 1990 Black 300SE, Silver 1989 Volvo 780, 1988 300CE (vanished by the hands of a girlfriend), 1992 300CE (Rescue).

Saw a champaign colored W140 taxi at LAX on Thursday. No model insignia

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Jason

00 Subaru Legacy (fun wagon)
96 Nissan Sentra (disavowed)
82 300SD (garage queen, will run again hopefully)
87 300DT (Gone: 10/15/2010)

There are two other 123 diesel taxis that I know of in DC- a 2-tone tan and black sedan and a silver wagon. The silver wagon looks pretty tired. Also- there is a black 124 E300TE in service, and a black 126 500SEL. Starting to see lots and lots of 123s here.

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'02 BMW 325i
'85 300D 450k
'93 190E 2.6 170k(killed by tree)
'08 Ducati Hypermotard 1100S 6k
'06 Ducati S2R800 14k(sold)

When I was in D.C last June, I saw a black W124 gasser wagon taxi. I got a pic of it somewhere.
-Joe

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

I've seen the black W123 TD, the black W124 TD, and the tan/black W123 D. I've seen a few Mercedes gassers running around, but I don't remember exactly what they were.

Gray Top Limo, in Licking County, Ohio (I'm NOT making this up) runs exclusively W123. At least that was the state of things when I left there in July.

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Alan the Radio Guy
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Amateur Radio Station N7CEU
1985 300CD 199,000 and still rolling

We've got them in the Chicago suburbs.

There are more than a couple W123 taxis in DC........and a couple of them are wagons.

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Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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Section 609 MVAC Certified
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche