1970 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL

The 'S' Class Mercedes range was first shown at Frankfurt in 1965. It was designed by Paul Bracq and, compared to its predecessor, was given a new sleeker bodyshell with lower roof and waistline, and increased glass area. The 300SEL 6.3 joined the range for 1968, and came equipped with a 6,332cc overhead-camshaft V8 along with a host of other refinements including the 600 Limousine's air suspension and power-operated brakes. Standard equipment included an automatic transmission.

During its production lifespan, nearly 383,000 version of the car featuring the W108 and W109 chassis were built.

The 3.5-liter V-8 engine, offering 200 horsepower, arrived in late 1969. From the six-cylinder 300 SEL to the 300 SEL 3.5, 0–62 mph times dropped from 12.2 seconds to 10 seconds flat. Amenities on the 300 SEL 3.5 included power steering, air conditioning, a radio, and an automatic transmission as standard equipment. Production was brief, with the last example leaving the production line in September of 1972. Over the course of four years, only 9,483 examples were produced.

by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2019