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Two weeks ago I took a look the W114/115 coupe and explained that while not the pinnacle of Mercedes-Benz at the time, they still had their place at the time as being a fashionable vehicle with above average quality. The same can be said about the sedan compared to the W108/109, but it seems these even take a further back seat given the next generation that went on to become on of the greatest cars of all time, the W123. Still, these little sedans have their place and can be had for not much money at all, just like today’s example, a 1972 220 up for sale in New York. It isn’t a prime example by any means, but still has a good look on a very tight budget.
It seems that, to me at least, the Mercedes-Benz W114/115 may be forgotten about, or at the very least overlooked. I can understand it given the W111 Coupes that were being produced at the same time were some of, and still are, some of the most magnificent and quality automobiles ever built. A W111 Coupe has doors that weigh roughly the same as a baby elephant and shut so preciously that it’ll slice your fingers clean off if you get them caught. But you won’t care because all you’ll be focused on is the beautiful burl wood gauge cluster housing. So naturally if you are standing on the lot of a Mercedes-Benz dealer in 1972 and see that interior, then walk over and peek inside today’s car, a 1972 250C, you’ll probably be a little disappointed. It certainly explains why a W111 Coupe today is worth a boatload of money, and the W114/115 Coupe can be hand for those of us on a budget.
Kick back and relax now that the work week is over because I need some time to unpack everything that this 1972 Mercedes-Benz 250C is bringing today. At first glance I was excited to see a W114 coupe in awesome 860 green and to my surprise it was a four-speed manual as well. Then I started reading the description and looking at the photos to realize this car had much more than what I saw on the surface. So let’s dive into this 1972 250C located in Washington.
Some days it seems that no stone has been left unturned when it comes to the world of collector cars, but if you dig deep enough, there are still gems to be found. The W114/W115 Mercedes-Benzes, also known as the Strich Acht (or Stroke Eight) was not a particularly flashy or eye-catching vehicle, but this was the first post war Mercedes-Benz to use an all-new chassis. This car would last through 1976, when the W123 would carry the baton into the 1980s, making a name for itself around unmatched durability. In 1974, the OM617 inline-5 diesel would appear in the form of the 300D, an engine that would carry over to the W123 and even live on through 1991 in the G-Class. This 1975 300D for sale outside of Philadelphia has under 70,000 miles on the clock and certainly looks the part, ready to log another 70,000 miles in very short order.
There is a certain timeless quality to the design of a vintage Mercedes that few marques are capable of replicating. Many of those models offered some of the highest levels of luxury and refinement on the market during their time and through their technological innovations they performed like much more modern vehicles on the road. The W114 sometimes gets lost in the MB catalog, but as the first post-war Mercedes built on an all-new chassis they remain important cars from their period. Between the W114 and, its counter-part, the W115 these cars offered a wide variety of engine choices, whether petrol or diesel, in either a sedan or coupe body. The 1975 Mercedes Benz 280C we see here, located in North Carolina, came with a 2.8 liter inline-six mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission and is reputed to be one of the most original condition examples of its kind available in the US.
