W123 Crash Test videos... so much for the low fed rating...
 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=EqMEGA76HsE

I like the one where they drop the car....

Great crumple zones. W123s were built like tanks.:D

as for the comments below the video, i tend to agree volvo's are safer as they had that steel cage built around the 'cabin' or interior of the car that when the car was hit nothing would twist of bend out of place. Just the outside of the car was smushed. I still have some old ad's of the volvo saftey.

I have one were the front and back of the car were flattened and the interior looked like it did before the accident.

Its the reason my dad loved volvo's when he was younger.

But thats not to say the MB isnt a safe car, they still are safer then your average all aluminum honda or even a hummer:P

I love the overhead open hood shot of the offset frontal crash, but I wonder howmuch crumple there is gonna be with an engine there...
John

Did I see this wrong, in one of the clips the
seat belt thightend by itself before the impact.
I knew that some w123s had airbags but didn't know
this.

Louis.

I find the clip starting around 9 seconds interesting. Looks like a driver with adult and child passenger in the back. The child is not in a car seat and doesn't seem to be belted. The adult in the back doesn't seem to be tightly belted, but I can't tell for sure. Maybe seat belts really do that.

But the kid slides between the front seats and plants his face in the dash.

Good advertisement for child car seats........

Ken300D

what models would have airbags?

Since all W124's had the SRS system, I'm sure there was a few W123's that did too, but mostly just for R&R I imagine.

Mercedes had the high strength safety cage concept fully implemented back in 1951. They were the first to design a vehicle in such a manner. The W123's can also have their trunks crushed all the way to the fuel tank and still be fully intact (I've seen it).

Why do you think a Volvo, even a 240, is safer? What's your reasoning?

In NY I was rear ended on a stop sign by a van, the rear got crumpled but nothing happened to the passenger cabin, my uncle was in the back seat, he was a heart patient, even he didnt' feel anything, the W123 is one heck of a solid design.

I Kinda figured that Mercedes would have explosive tensioners(ET).
Tie a string to a pole, and attatch a rocket on the free end and light it. there's you're explosive tensioner :D

a word of caution. if you know your car has ET seatbelts, and it isn't working right (just wear and tear or whatever) GET A BODY SHOP to replace it.

I was walking across my shop one day with one in my hand and I dropped it...BAM! loud, fast, and MANY pieces...not quite so dangerous when bolted down.
I once had a FULL load of airbags blow while I was disassembling the front end on a '06 TDI. OMG:eek: spectacular noise and COST!
Luckily it was a faulty SRS module and not our fault so it was supplimented to the insurance claim.

Lets just say that if you knew how much the airbags cost in a new TDI the pricetag seems very reasonable.

It was a euro option later one and so was ABS on the W123 IIRC. The seatbelt thing was the pretensioner that is mentioned in the owners manual.

I was amazed at the damage the kid did to the dash... that is some hard core momentum! Much more than I would have thought...

Puts the damage in perspective too.

I Ran Off The Road In The Fog 26 Yrs Ago, Hit A Cravass Flipped About 5 Feet Up Landed On The Roof And Slid About 15 Feet. I Got A Bruise. The Roof Dented In About 3inches. The Front Right Bottom Of The Car Tookan Impact. But Not What I'd Expected It Would. I Got That Car Cause My Dad In 1971 Hit A Pickup Broadside Not Even Hitting His Brakes Because The Man Pulled Out With The Sun In His Eyes And Didn't See Him. He Got A Bruise,sprained Wrist And My Mom Got A Belt Mark. The Shaft Broke Away Sending The Engine Under The Cabinand The Whole Front Of The Car Acordianed In Putting The Emblem At The Windshield. Thats Why I,my Wife And My Son Drive 123's Ray M

I'm just amazed at how few smashed windows I see in those clips...simply amazing. Check out the first 10 seconds. Sedan flipping, front window intact!