Mercedes color code 681 H – Manila Beige was introduced for the 1979 model year and was used through the 1985 model year. Those were tough years for the auto industry in general, a recession in the United States, high interest rates, EPA regulations that continued to strangle horsepower more than ever before. This color almost embodies those times and difficulties. The majority of Mercedes cars offered during those years were diesels, this color seems to suit the quiet, unassuming utility of a W123 sedan or wagon. This color was quite popular on those cars, it also appeared on a lot of SLs, like the 380 SL in our featured image here.
Manila Beige could be described as ‘unexciting’… the color of a folder stashed away in a file cabinet in a dingy office? On the other hand, while rather sterile feeling, it has a certain charm that makes it almost endearing today, a nice contrast to all the black and signal red R107s of the period and at home in any country club parking lot.
Do you have photos of a car in 681 H – Manila Beige that doesn’t appear here? Click here to learn how you can submit your photos and help contribute to the Mercedes-Benz Color Library Project here at Mercedes-Market.com!
1983 380 SL in Manila Beige – Mercedes color code 681 H. Photo: John Walter