It was safer than any other car on the road when it was new and for some years to come thereafter, except for an S-Class Benz. People who tell you it's an unsafe car are idiots.

A lot of drivvle is written about modern cars being safer because of ABS, better handling etc so you can "avoid' the accident. That may be so in some circumstances. But you can be involved in an accident when sitting stationary at a traffic light and some dumbass runs a red light when all the gizmology in the world wont save you. The only thing that matters in that case is the strength and design of the vehicle you are sitting in.

Almost fifty years after the W123 debuted it's possible that if you buy a new car you might emerge from an impact better off than if you were in a W123 but In my opinion you're as better off or better off in a W123 than many if not most of the average cars built over the last fifty years.

Regarding the advert of the Chapmans peak crash. I recall seeing that when I was a youngun back in SA. BMW immediately countered with a really weak ad claiming that if he'd been in a BMW he wouldn't have left fallen asleep at the wheel and gone over the edge in the first place. It was a pathetic attempt at a riposte and they dropped it pretty quickly as I recall.

Interestingly nobody ever tried duplicating that feat in a Five series BMW...

However that is not the last time a W123 saved it's owners life in that manner. Some years later a similar incident occurred in Lesotho. A landlocked mountainous kingdom completely surrounded by South Africa. A 123 owner survived a similar plunge down a mountain cliff side. And Mercedes Benz also used that incident in an ad campaign. Interestingly enough BMW didn't even attempt to counter that one.

With the Chapmans peak incident (A road I have traveled on a few times myself by the way) MBSA gave the guy involved a new Mercedes. But the next time it happened, in Lesotho, they did not, much to the chagrin of the owner. Perhaps they were worried they might have to keep dishing out new Mercedes if the owners kept surviving apparently unsurvivable accidents

- Peter.

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2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

I feel safe in one. As mentioned above, a side airbag is all I'd want for it.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I'm still alive

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$60 OM617 Blank Exhaust Flanges
$110 OM606 Blank Exhaust Flanges
No merc at the moment

WRT the 59 Chevy vs a modern car crash.....

For the 59, and plus or minus some years, chevy had a frame whose configuration is not what you would assume to be the normal automotive frame of the time....

The Chevy frame, for 59, and into the early sixties, had a very narrow cross section from the front bumper, and next to the engine, which did not widen until around the B pillar.

Essentially for the offset front end collision staged with the modern car, the only parts taking the impact on the '59 were the body sheetmetal and the left front suspension. This was a very poor frame design from an impact perspective.

I've often wondered if this was deliberate or ignorance on the of the group staging the comparision.

Jim

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14 E250 BlueTEC black. 45k miles
95 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 66k miles
94 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 152k miles
85 300TD 4 spd man, euro bumpers and lights, 15" Pentas dark blue 274k miles

MrOwl42 is a very good fisherman; so little bait, so many fish.

anyone have a link to the w123 South Africa Chapman crash video. I have searched but to no avail.

follow link in post #3

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 167,870 July 2025
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

How safe is it? Compared to other 1976 cars very very good. Compared to a modern car? Not that good. As other noted, in a crash your head is going to hit the steering wheel. 1985 models did get seatbelt pretensioners. I would not describe it as unsafe. Check out copart.com for real crash pictures.... you'll see the old design holds up well.

-J

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1991 350SDL. 230,000 miles (new motor @ 150,000). Blown head gasket

Tesla Model 3. 205,000 miles. Been to 48 states!
Past: A fleet of VW TDIs.... including a V10,a Dieselgate Passat, and 2 ECOdiesels.
2014 Cadillac ELR
2013 Fiat 500E.

Just to add to the Mercedes lore stories. I was buying some interior items from a guy who was parting out his W123. The car had 489,000 miles on the original engine and he was t-boned at about 50mph on the passenger side. The rear side door would no longer open, but had there been a passenger they would have not been injured. I spent about 20 minutes with a massive sledgehammer trying to get the door to budge about an inch from the inside in order to remove some trim. Despite going at it for quite a while (and I'm not a lightweight), I was unable to budge the door. That incident really impressed me with the safety features considering I could probably punch a fist sized impression on a newer car.

On these forums, there are crash pics posted and it seems very often that the W123 is able to drive itself home while the other guy waits for the tow truck.

Dkr.

To answer the question about who is asking if it's safe, it's just various people that I know, the main reason I posted this was for my own peace of mind, since I'll be driving friends and family, I wouldn't want to put them at more risk by driving a dangerous car. Although all of the wonderful response have helped with that. Thanks again, you people always come through.

You guys also remember the accident that just happend with the gull wing? Guy walked right away...



Mercedes 300SL Gullwing head on crash - Mercedes-Benz Forum

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Personal opinion -

Our old cars, generally speaking, require more attentive driver's. We have to plan ahead, think down the road, etc.

We additionally have fewer distractions from TV screens, maps, etc. unless we choose to add them.

Combine this and while the car itself may have fewer safety systems, they most often have safer drivers.

New cars, from what I see, inspire carelessness due to an illusion of relatively invincibility. The car will save you, so why bother driving with care?

I think that the above condition leads to an overall safer driving experience regardless of whatever arguments are made about the safety of the car's systems. What are left are those instances where everything else is out of your control - the random T-bone or unexpected deer jumping into to your car or what have you. There are plenty of those instances where even new safety systems can't protect you - a semi truck sandwich for example. So perhaps life is too short to worry about that sort of stuff...

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1979 300D 040 Black on Black - 1985 300D Maaco job (sadly sprayed over 199 Black Pearl Metallic) on Palamino

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Visit the W123 page on iFixit for over 70 helpful DIY guides!

Probably exponentially safer than a 2014 IIHS top safety pick econo-box with a driver who is Texting ...

But it wouldn't be my first choice in terms of safety. . .

Although a brain and some common sense goes a long way on todays roads. . .

Eyes on the road, two hands on the wheel, use the signals and mirrors, and keep it at or below the speed limit.

And remember, nothing powered by an OM617 is a left lane kinda car

The local crusher guy hates old Mercedes because they really make his machine groan when crushing them. He said he put in a local guy's race car with a full roll cage and it crushed with half the effort of a benz.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Did Mercedes employ a stuntman in the Chapman TV commercial?

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 167,870 July 2025
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked