1962 Mercedes-Benz 300d

History

The Mercedes-Benz 300D was introduced in 1951 and produced through 1954. The 300 Series, also known as the W186, was first shown at the 1951 Paris Auto Show. The car instantly became popular with the social elite, the rich, and the famous. The cars were powered by a six-cylinder overhead-valve carbureted engine. There were seven Mercedes-Benz colors to select from. Optional equipment included a Becker radio, VHF short-wave telephone, custom wood trims, leather or cloth seats, carpeting, and a dictation machine, to name a few.

In late 1954, the model was updated resulting in the 300b. The 300b included improvements such as finned drum brakes, a brake booster, and vents in the front door.

The next installment of the 300 was the 300c, which appeared in 1955 and continued through 1957. A sedan version of the 300C cost over $10,800 while the convertible version cost $14,230.

The 300 'd' model, series W189, was produced from August of 1957 and continued until March of 1962. There were a total of 3077 examples produced. The cars were powered by a Bosch fuel-injected six-cylinder engine that produced an impressive 160 horsepower. The Borg-Warner automatic gearbox was a popular option. All cars that were sent to the US were given the automatic gearbox.

Total production of the six different 300 series cars, which lasted from 1951 through 1962, totaled 12,290 units.

A limited number of the 300 Series sedan and cabriolet models were given the name 'Adenauer', which was derived from Dr. Konrad Adenauer, the chancellor of Germany. He used six of these 300 models during his time in office.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2007