1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SC

The Mercedes-Benz 300 was produced from 1951 through 1958, combining modern designs with traditional prewar styling. They had excellent power and minimal weight, along with modern technology. It used conventional body-on-frame construction that was not as modern as the unit-body construction, but it was a tried-and-true construction method. With this type of build, volume was low but the manufacturing quality was high. The front suspension was independent with A-arms and coil springs while the rear was the traditional Mercedes-Benz swing-axle setup with coil springs.

Under the bonnet was a new single overhead camshaft engine that displaced 2996cc.

The 300 Series were hand-crafted cars, luxuriously finished, and trimmed in the highest quality materials. They were elegant, safe, fast, and comfortable. Most of the chassis for the 300 Series measured 120 inches and had four-door coachwork. Between November 1951 and March 1962, around 11,430 examples were built. Of that, 707 were convertible sedans.

The 300 Series was introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show. A short time later, a very different 300 - the 300S - was shown at the Paris Show. The 300S had a shorter wheelbase of 114.2 inches and was powered by a more potent multi-carburetor engine offering 163 SAE. They had two-door coachwork and offered in both open and closed styles. At the time, it was the most exclusive automobile in the Mercedes-Benz lineup and intended for its most discerning clientele.

The 300S was produced from July 1952 through April 1958, with a mere 760 examples constructed. Two hundred examples of the 300Sc were built over three years, with 98 being coupes.

In 1955, at the Paris Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz introduced the final iteration of the 300S, called the 300SC. It had a detuned version of the 300SL's Bosch mechanical fuel-injected engine rated at 200 SAE. A significant improvement was the adoption of Mercedes-Benz's new low-pivot swing-axle rear suspension design which offered better performance at speed.

The powerful and elegant Mercedes-Benz 300 Sc was one of the last of Stuttgart's hand-crafted cars.

Mechanical Specification
The 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 Sc was offered as a sedan, cabriolet and roadster riding on a 120-inch wheelbase and had an overall length of 199 inches, stood 63 inches tall, and was 72.4 inches wide. The 2,996cc overhead-cam six-cylinder engine had a cast-iron block, aluminum head, and displaced 183 cubic inches (2,996cc). It had seven main bearings, solid valve lifters, a Bosch fuel injection system, and 8.55:1 compression, delivering 175 (DIN) horsepower at 5,400 RPM and 190 lb-ft of torque at 4,300 RPM. It used an automatic transmission, hydraulic drum brakes, and a coil spring suspension with A-arms at the front and swing axles at the rear.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2020