Mercedes Marks 40 Years Since The Debut Of The E-Class Coupe’s Granddaddy

It’s been less than a decade since Mercedes discontinued the CLK and reintegrated the coupe into the E-Class family. But the German automaker’s mid-range two-door traces back a lot longer than that.

40 years, to be precise. That’s how long ago it was that Mercedes introduced the C123 generation of coupes. Their unveiling took place at the 1977 Geneva Motor Show, a solid year after the debut of its sedan counterpart.

The two-door models sat an inch and a half lower to the ground than their sedan counterparts, and over three inches shorter from bow to stern. The biggest visual difference, though, was its pillarless side glass, giving it a sleek silhouette that has become a Mercedes coupe signature that modern Benz designers still seek to emulate.

Initially offered as the 230 C, 280 C, and 280 CE, the range was subsequently extended to include a 300 CD turbodiesel model. By the end of production in August 1985, Mercedes had sold nearly 100,000 of them with output nearly doubling along the way from 80 horsepower up to 156.

It would be another couple of years before it successor would come along, making the switch to the E-Class nomenclature we know today.