How many Mercedes-Benz 230s are left in New Zealand?
Scarce 1 in 4,670 on the road Built 1964-2009 European
Updated from the NZTA Motor Vehicle Register, counted as at 31 August 2026. Recounted every month.
The number 230 has sat on mid-range Mercedes of almost every kind: the Fintail and Stroke Eight saloons of the 1960s and 1970s, the hard-wearing W123 and W124 that followed, and later the supercharged Kompressor versions of the C-Class, CLK and SLK. Through most of that time it meant a 2.3-litre petrol engine and a sensible place in the range.
Still on the road, by model year
The most are from 1999: 101 still registered. Every year is listed under the chart.
Every model year
| Model year | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 1964 | 13 |
| 1965 | 13 |
| 1966 | 16 |
| 1967 | 12 |
| 1968 | 5 |
| 1969 | 6 |
| 1970 | 5 |
| 1971 | 6 |
| 1972 | 6 |
| 1974 | 9 |
| 1975 | 5 |
| 1976 | 11 |
| 1977 | 4 |
| 1978 | 6 |
| 1979 | 4 |
| 1980 | 8 |
| 1981 | 5 |
| 1982 | 16 |
| 1983 | 15 |
| 1984 | 23 |
| 1985 | 17 |
| 1986 | 13 |
| 1987 | 8 |
| 1988 | 19 |
| 1989 | 17 |
| 1990 | 18 |
| 1991 | 8 |
| 1992 | 9 |
| 1994 | 1 |
| 1995 | 2 |
| 1996 | 17 |
| 1997 | 82 |
| 1998 | 90 |
| 1999 | 101 |
| 2000 | 94 |
| 2001 | 38 |
| 2002 | 30 |
| 2003 | 35 |
| 2004 | 10 |
| 2005 | 49 |
| 2006 | 100 |
| 2007 | 49 |
| 2008 | 5 |
| 2009 | 1 |
By badge
The versions the register records, most numerous first.
| Which one | Built | Left | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 230SLK | 229 | Scarce | |
| 230C | 217 | Scarce | |
| 230SL | 29 | Rare |
What Scarce means
Spotto grades every car by how many are still registered in New Zealand. With 1,001 still registered, the Mercedes-Benz 230 is Scarce: the grade for cars with 175 to 1,199 left.
By how many are left it ranks 18th of the 102 Mercedes-Benz models and 448th of all 2,903 cars in Spotto's catalogue.
The six grades: Common, 8,000 or more · Uncommon, 1,200 to 7,999 · Scarce, 175 to 1,199 · Rare, 25 to 174 · Super rare, 5 to 24 · Unicorn, fewer than 5.
Seen one?
Spotto grades every car on New Zealand roads by how many are still registered, down to the generation and the badge. Log the ones you spot, build a collection, and see who else has found one.