---
title: "This Fetching 1979 Mercedes-Benz Wagon With 782K Miles Is Nowhere Near Ready To Retire"
description: "Most likely, it's good to reach the million-mile mark or more with an OM617 diesel engine under the hood."
date: "2021-05-08"
modified: "2021-05-08"
authors:
  - name: "Kristin V. Shaw"
    job_title: "Contributor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/kristin-shaw"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/40510/this-fetching-1979-mercedes-benz-wagon-with-782k-miles-is-nowhere-near-ready-to-retire"
categories:
  - "Mercedes-Benz News"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
tags:
  - "Mercedes-Benz"
  - "Wagon"
---

# This Fetching 1979 Mercedes-Benz Wagon With 782K Miles Is Nowhere Near Ready To Retire

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2021/05/Merc-wagon-HERO.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

After more than 40 years and 782,000 miles, some cars are [long past their expiration date](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/33675/this-2015-lamborghini-huracan-with-187k-miles-is-the-riskiest-buy-of-the-year>). That’s not the case for one [1979 Mercedes-Benz 300TD](<https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1979-mercedes-benz-300td-6/?prompttm=1>) with a 3.0-liter [turbodiesel](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/35269/bmws-ridiculous-quad-turbo-diesel-engine-was-too-weird-to-live>) for sale on [Bring a Trailer](<https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1979-mercedes-benz-300td-6/?prompttm=1>) by the appropriately-named Dieselgirl in Arizona.

For a tank like this with the legendary [OM617 five-cylinder engine](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/33123/the-rotary-powered-1969-mercedes-benz-c111-is-the-real-reason-daimler-went-with-diesel-engines>), 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.

![message-editor%2F1620512662439-mercwagoninline2.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1620512662439-mercwagoninline2.jpg>)
**[Bring a Trailer](<https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1979-mercedes-benz-300td-6/?prompttm=1>)**

The [beautifully preserved](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/33609/heres-why-this-1993-toyota-supra-billboard-has-been-preserved-in-san-francisco-for-decades>)

[300TD](<https://www.thedrive.com/test-drives/2301/behind-the-wheel-of-a-perfect-1978-mercedes-benz-300d>) has light tan [MB-Tex](<https://www.thedrive.com/cars-101/37245/leatherette>) 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).

![message-editor%2F1620512949133-2.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1620512949133-2.jpg>)
*Bring a Trailer*

![message-editor%2F1620512964172-3.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1620512964172-3.jpg>)
*Bring a Trailer*

![message-editor%2F1620512975897-4.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1620512975897-4.jpg>)
*Bring a Trailer*

![message-editor%2F1620512987403-5.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1620512987403-5.jpg>)
*Bring a Trailer*

![message-editor%2F1620513009189-6.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1620513009189-6.jpg>)
*Bring a Trailer*

![message-editor%2F1620513022042-7.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1620513022042-7.jpg>)
*Bring a Trailer*

![message-editor%2F1620513039801-8.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1620513039801-8.jpg>)
*Bring a Trailer*

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](<https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1979-mercedes-benz-300td-6/?prompttm=1>), 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*

## Author
Kristin Shaw is the former Weekend Editor for The Drive and a current freelancer in both the automotive and aviation worlds. She’s a big fan of anything car-related and calls on her technology background on the corporate side to explain engineering and high-tech concepts. Now living in her sixth state (New Jersey, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Georgia, and now Texas), she is thrilled that working from home is now mainstream.

### Author social links  
[Facebook](<https://facebook.com/DriveModeShow>)  
[Instagram](<https://instagram.com/KristinVShaw>)  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/KristinVShaw>)