After more than 40 years and 782,000 miles, some cars are long past their expiration date. That’s not the case for one 1979 Mercedes-Benz 300TD with a 3.0-liter turbodiesel for sale on Bring a Trailer by the appropriately-named Dieselgirl in Arizona.
For a tank like this with the legendary OM617 five-cylinder engine, that’s barely broken in. Knowing the history of this model, the wagon will top a million miles or more easily. If you figure the Mercedes-Benz has been driven roughly 51 miles a day for 42 years, as one commenter with quick math skills noted, it has seen regular commutes for a very long time or some incredible cross-country road trips. The current seller has owned it since 2006 and added 150,000 miles to the clock, averaging closer to 10,000 miles per year.
300TD has light tan MB-Tex upholstery, which is a proprietary Mercedes-Benz vinyl blend known to be easier to care for and longer-lasting than leather. It doesn’t hurt that it has spent at least the last 15 years in the arid desert, where things tend to last a bit longer. The giant back seat is big enough to pack in the kids and the rest of the neighborhood. Or maybe a half-dozen fluffy dogs or baby goats.
It should be no surprise that neither the power-retractable antenna nor (more importantly for hot climates) the air conditioning is operable, and the cruise control may or may not work depending on its mood. Its self-leveling rear suspension has been serviced relatively recently, and it also has a manual sunroof, tinted windows, electric window controls, roof rails, and automatic climate control (minus the air conditioning).
This is a good-looking wagon, and if you have any wrenching skills at all it should last for many happy road trips to come. If you win it, I want to see how many more miles you put on that diesel.
Got a tip? Send the writer a note: kristin.shaw@thedrive.com