Manufacturer Mercedes-Benz | Designer Paul Bracq | |
 | ||
Production 1968–1976
1,919,056 built
Saloon: 1,852,008
Coupé: 67,048 Assembly Stuttgart, West Germany
Bremen, West Germany
Sindelfingen, West Germany
East London, South Africa
Setúbal, Portugal (Movauto)
Barcelona, Venezuela (CKD)
González Catán, Argentina Class Mid-size luxury / Executive car (E) Body style 4-door sedan
2-door coupé
4-door limousine | ||
The Mercedes-Benz W114 and W115 models are a series of sedans and coupés introduced in 1968 by Mercedes-Benz, manufactured through model year 1976, and distinguished in the marketplace by names relating to their engine size.
Contents
W114 models featured six-cylinder engines and were marketed as the 230, 250, and 280, while W115 models featured four-cylinder engines and were marketed as the 200, 220, 230, and 240.
All were styled by Paul Bracq, featuring a three-box design. At the time, Mercedes marketed sedans in two size classes, with the W114/W115, positioned below the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
Beginning in 1968, Mercedes marketed their model range as New Generation Models, giving their ID plates the designation '/8' (due to their 1968 Launch year). Because they were the only truly new cars of the so-called 'New Generation' and because of the '/8' or 'slash eight' designation, W114 and W115 models ultimately received the German nickname Strich Acht, loosely translated into the English stroke eight.
History
The W114/W115 models were the first post-war Mercedes-Benz production car to use a newly engineered chassis, not derived from preceding models. The new chassis format of semi-trailing rear arms and ball-joint front end first displayed in the W114/W115 chassis would be used in all new Mercedes passenger car models until the development of the multi-link rear suspensions of the 1980s. The W108/109 S-Class chassis of the 280S/8, 280SE/8 and 300SEL/8 (and W113 280SL Pagoda) would be the last of the low-pivot swing axle and king pin/double wishbone front ends. The next S-Class -the W116 chassis- having the same engineering of the W114/115.
The W114/W115 models replaced the W110 Fintail models stemming from 1961, and were themselves replaced by the W123 series after 1976.
The Mercedes-Benz W114/W115 was the mid-sized saloon model for Mercedes, positioned below the S-Class. Mercedes also launched its first 5-cylinder diesel engine OM617 in this chassis. It followed heavily in the direction set by the W108/109 S-class, which was launched in 1965 and heralded the new design idiom. The car was designed by French auto designer Paul Bracq who was chief designer at Mercedes-Benz for models from 1957 to 1967, a period that included models such as the Grosser Mercedes-Benz 600. Bracq was also responsible for BMW designs (1970–74) and Peugeot designs (1974–96).
Mercedes introduced a coupé variant of the W114 in 1969, featuring a longer boot hood and available with either a 2.5 or 2.8 litre six-cylinder engine. While a classic and understated design these generally cost less than the W113-based 280 SL model that ran through 1971, and its successor, the 3.5 or 4.5 litre V8 Mercedes SL R107/C107 (1971–1989) roadster and coupé. While a 'hard-top' unlike the fully convertible SL, the pillarless design allowed all the windows to be lowered completely for open air motoring. Only 67,048 coupés were manufactured from 1969 to 1976 (vs. 1.852,008 saloons). Of these 24,669 were 280C and 280CE (top of the range), and 42,379 were the lesser 250C and 250CE (A Mercedes-Benz 220D pickup on the W115 chassis was produced briefly in Argentina in the 1970s.)
The W114 received a facelift in 1973 - with a lower bonnet-line, lower and broader grill, a single front bumper to replace the double bumpers, lower placement of the headlamps, A-pillar treatment for keeping the side windows clear, removal of the quarter-windows in the front doors, ribbed tail lights to minimize occlusion of the tail lights with road dirt, and larger side mirrors. The interior received inertia reel belts and a new padded steering wheel with a four-hole design.
The Mercedes-Benz W115 is known to be a very durable car. In 2004 a Greek taxi driver donated his 1976 Mercedes-Benz 240D to the Mercedes-Benz Museum Collection with 4.6 million kilometers on the odometer, which is recognised as the Mercedes-Benz with the highest recorded mileage known to date.
Innovations
Like its larger variant this car also boasted advanced technological innovations. 1969 saw the introduction of the Bosch D-jetronic fully electronic fuel injection system into the 250CE. This was the first ever production Mercedes-Benz to use this system.
Other innovations in the W114/W115 models include a center console (a first in a Mercedes sedan), ribbed taillights in 1974. All coupé models used the 6-cylinder engine (and thus were W114s) and were designated with a "C" in the model name.
North America
In 1968, the W114/W115 was introduced in North America (as the 240D and 300D), but with fewer engine choices than elsewhere. These models from the start had unique headlights, utilizing a sealed-beam lamp instead of the H4 type used in the European models. Bumpers changed frequently and there were at least three different bumpers used over the production run in NA. For 1974, the bumpers grew significantly due to new DOT requirements.
North American 240Ds were offered with a 4-speed manual or 4-speed automatic, whereas all 5-cylinder 300D models were equipped with the 4-speed automatic without a manual option.