I was looking at ebay a moment ago. Someone had the original price sticker for a 1979 300D. It was "over $20,000.

I have a 1983 300D-T. It has a sunroof which is really the only "option" I know of. Can anyone tell me what my car would have sold for when new?

Blair

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Blair
1983 300D-T
Black

It's closer to 30,00 USD. I have I 1982 300D Turbo, and I photo copied an old ad for one from an issue of Road & Track. The heading states "The 300D Turbodiesel: the Mercedes-Benz engineer's idea of a $30,000* luxury sedan". The note about the price says "Approximate suggested advertised delivered price at port of entry". That's probably for a base model, but a fully loaded can't be more than a couple thousand above that. I think the only options where a power sunroof, heated seats, leather or velour seats, passenger side mirror, and a third brake light. I'm not sure if velour seats where still offered as an option, I know you could get them on 280E's. Wagons are traditionally a bit more expensive then their sedan counterparts, and prices for the '83's where probably higher then the '82's.

Blair,
I too have a 1983 300D Turbo that we bought new. I have the MB Tex, a sunroof, the Becker Grand Prix, power passenger mirror, the fuel cut off security switch, and a block heater which I thnk the dealer included free. We paid a lump sum of $31,500 at Mercedes of Manhattan before tax and freight.

Alex

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1983 300D (parked for four years)
2012 VW Sportwagen TDI Manual
2001 Miata SE
1962 Chevrolet Corvair Rampside

My dad told me that my grandmothers 300D-T bought brand new at RBM in Atlanta in 1983 was approx 39,000. It does have the sunroof..

I had no idea!

I have an electric sunroof, MB Tex, power passenger side mirror and block heater. No fuel cut off switch and the Becker radio has been replaced.

I am astounded since I bought the car for $3,000.00. But it has been well taken care of.

Thanks

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Blair
1983 300D-T
Black

I too was astounded. My 560SEL was delivered for at least $68,000 in 1986.

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VR
1967 250SL

I still have the window sticker for my 1982 300D, and although I don't have it in front of me right now, I do know that it was just under $30,000. That isn't exactly cheap now, and was really a pretty large chunk of change in '82.

Aaron

Blair, My 1982 300D Turbo had a list price of $36,830 according to the registration forms I have. It does have a sunroof but I don't know if that was an option or not.

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Richard Seaman
1982 300D Turbo 198k
1987 420SEL Sold
1993 400SEL 123k
MBCA Desert Stars

While we're on the topic of ownership, how many of you have owned your car from new?

Alex

Not any of the Mercedes. I am content for someone else to take the depreciation, especially on the 1993 SEL which listed at $78,000 !!!

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Richard Seaman
1982 300D Turbo 198k
1987 420SEL Sold
1993 400SEL 123k
MBCA Desert Stars

You can call 1800 for MBUSA and they can tell you what the car cost when new, and the date of production if you have the vin. I think this is the number, its on the web site! Well, my 85 300D optioned with nothing really special (at that point in time, most all had the Becker, Sunroof, Right Mirror and MB Tex) it was almost 32,000. But I spoke to a guy who bought a brand new 300D (production 6/85!) in late 1985 for like $24,000. They were blowing them out when the new 124s came along. Now there's a steal!

I thought I would add my sticker price also.
Original window sticker price for my 1982 300SD $37,147.00.
$829.00 bought the sunroof and $1124 bought the leather. Total sticker $39,404. Everything else was "free" --- this car still drives better than our ( much newer ) other cars and is so much more comfortable for my body size.

The MSRP for '79 was:

240D - $16770
300D - $21497
300CD - $24280
300TD - $24569
300SD - $27000
280E - $22943
280CE - $25650
280SE - $26910
450SEL- $33778
450SL - $31589
450SLC- $37542

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Michael LaFleur

'05 E320 CDI - 86,000 miles
'86 300SDL - 360,000 miles
'85 300SD - 150,000 miles (sold)
'89 190D - 120,000 miles (sold)
'85 300SD - 317,000 miles (sold)
'98 ML320 - 270,000 miles (sold)
'75 300D - 170,000 miles (sold)
'83 Harley Davidson FLTC (Broken again) :-(
'61 Plymouth Valiant - 60k mikes
2004 Papillon (Oliver)
2005 Tzitzu (Griffon)
2009 Welsh Corgi (Buba)

Interesting:

1979 450SEL = $33,778

1973 450SEL = $14,500

You have to love the Seventies for rampant inflation, $ devaluation against the DM and maybe a little Stuttgart greed.

There was a lot of inflation in the window stickers in the late 80's and early 90's....some examples I know from personal experience
from friends and business associates etc
1992 500SL...sticker was 101,000...car sold for 91,000
1993 300D 2.5 sticker was 43,950...car sold for 36,900
1997 S500 sticker was 91,000..car sold for 78,000

my car had a sticker of $72,000.....geez I hope the orginal owner didn't pay that ..or he ate about 45,000 based on what I bought the car for and an allowance for a few grand dealer profit in what I paid

seems that MB used to like to play a little game with the inflated stickers...when the sticker is that high and the transaction price was that much different ..that tends to raise a brow

however times have changes it seems as most of todays cars are selling close to sticker....I guess that answers the question of how a new E class can sticker close to one from 10 years ago..lol
I think the actual transaction price needs to be considered when looking at things like depreciation and worth

Warren
1992 300SD 129K
Columbus Ohio