1976 Mercedes-Benz 240D Sedan 2.4L Diesel - Excellent, all original, no accident

1976 Mercedes-Benz 240D -- Description

Hello!
I'm selling my mom's precious Mercedes-Benz 240D. She bought the car new in Oakland, CA when I was 7, but it's time for it to find a new home. This has always been a California car; babied, always garaged and loved like a member of the family! Most of the mileage is from highway driving between the SF Bay Area and Northern CA. She has all of the maintenancerecords, manuals, keys, tools, accessories and even the original dealer brochure. This car is in pure unrestored original condition. With some minor TLC, it could be like new and/or a comfortable daily driver and will undoubtedly outlast all of us!
Paint: all original, has never been in an accident or had any body/paint work done. There are no dents anywhere and onlya few minor chips on the front flat sections next to radiator, where people generally add the driving lights. There a few minor surface scratches, especially around driver's door handle, which could be buffed out, otherwise everything is shiny and excellent. There is no rust or visible damage on underside/carriage. She always kept a good coat of wax on it and would wipe any rain/water drops off with a diaper!
Trim: there are a few minor dings in the thin chrome side strips and wax build-up around badges, which wipes off easily. It has never been through an automatic carwash, professionally washed or detailed.
Engine bay: Dirty, but not bad; it has never been cleaned, other than her wiping it with a rag after washing the exterior. There are few rust spots on the lower engine block area, but nothing unusual. No leaks or obvious issues.
Interior: the headliner is perfect, door panels are excellent, window crank handle on driver's door is worn, driver's seat has minor tear on left lower side and left rear back (seen from back seat), All the seating surfaces are otherwise still firm, the MB-Tex is not worn/faded and is in excellent condition! The carpet has always been protected and is excellent/perfect, even under pedals. The rubber cable conduits to the front doors have both disintegrated and need to be replaced, but the cables inside are fine. The "Engine Start/Stop" and AC labels have rotated slightly, typical for these models. Seatbelt tensioners all work well and belts are in good condition. Ashtrays have never been used (no smoking or eating was ever allowed)
Glass: all original and perfect, no visible chips.
Tires: have tread, but are old and should be replaced at some point. Two additional spare hubcaps and replacement clips are also included.
Battery: It's very old and just gave up the ghost, so needs to be replaced now. The car was running smoothly about three weeks ago.
I have 80+ more pictures that I can email, if you message me....

If you are looking at this auction then you're probably already aware of the legacy of this particular car with the "million mile engine". This is the EXACT year and model of the world record holder in theStuttgart Museum (2.8 million miles). The new owner qualifies for the first "Mercedes-Benz Classic High Mileage Award", entitling them to receive a traditional MBZ Star and Laurel Badge and handsome display certificate in a formal presentation folder, once mileage is verified at a Mercedes-Benz dealer.