The Mercedes-Benz 300CD was a variant of the C123 Coupe that was exclusive to the North American market. Introduced for the 1978 model year, the 300CD was powered by Mercedes' OM617.912 engine, which was a 3.0L inline five. Originally, this engine generated 78hp and 115 lb ft of torque, but a technical update saw output increase to 84hp and 120 lb ft of torque. Drive was sent to the rear wheels via a 4 speed automatic transmission. A total of 7,502 examples of the Mercedes-Benz 300CD were produced before the model series was discontinued in 1981, and replaced by the C123 Mercedes-Benz 300CD Turbodiesel.