Fleeting Excellence: Mercedes-Benz 300SD

by Gunnar Heinrich ::: img Daimler AG ::: Mercedes-Benz 300SD (W126, Series 1, 1981-1985)

FEW cars are both as loved and abused as the Mercedes 300SD. The mighty series one, W126 generation S-Class turbodiesel featuring an iron-clad inline-five cylinder oil burner is the stuff of engineering lore and a bittersweet lesson that excellence is fleeting.

Almost five years ago (!), ADLX reviewed the 300SD; a Swiss Army knife in the Reagan-era of luxury transport.

Your humble scribe heaped as much praise on the big W126 Benz as I knew how and for good reason – no other vintage Bimmer, Audi, Saab, Volvo, Caddy, Lincoln, or Jag could blend utility with style and luxury in one solid package.

That said, as time ticks by, us Benz aficionados can’t help but feel a little somber as these venerable sedans start to recede from our highways and byways. Classic diesels like the 300SD are largely treated pitilessly as workhorses. And nothing, however brilliantly engineered, lasts forever.

A cue, then, to appreciate the 300SDs still on the road.