1969 Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 6.3 2+2 Coupe

1969 Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 6.3 2+2 Coupe Coachwork by Pininfarina

Building on the very successful W111 and W112 series, the first cars to be produced in greater numbers and achieve economies of scale production, Mercedes-Benz presented a newly developed luxury limousine in 1965 at the annual Frankfurt Motor Show. With production lasting until 1972 in Europe, and 1973 in North America, a total of more than 383,000 units of the W108 and W109 were built. Quickly changing fashion trends in the 1960s meant that the characteristic fintails of the W111 predecessor, penned by designer Paul Bracq, were lost on the W108 and W109. Other less visible exterior modifications included a lower body waistline and wider doors. The resulting design was a visibly more modern and sleeker car with a more spacious interior. The W108 was the normal wheelbase version, whereas the W109, built in much smaller numbers, offered a longer wheelbase.

The W108 and W109 were available with a variety of engines to choose from, most being delivered with in-line six-cylinder motors.

In 1966, in-house engineer Erich Waxenberger started work on a private venture that consisted in placing the massive 6.3-liter V8 from the brand's 600 limousine into a W109 model's engine bay. The long wheelbase version W109 turned out to be well suited for the large engine, resulting in a very luxurious vehicle offering impressive performance. After presenting the concept to the public at the 1968 Geneva Motor show, the automaker decided to put Waxenberger's idea into production and between 1968 and 1972, a total of 6,526 of these luxury limousines with near muscle car performance were delivered to wealthy clients.

At the time of its release, the 300 SEL 6.3 was among the fastest four-door production cars in the world and was easily capable of a cruising speed of 125mph (200 km/h). In a 1968 feature of Road & Track, the magazine concluded the 300 SEL 6.3 was "merely the greatest sedan in the world". The writers, impressed by the automobile's power, even took the car to a drag race at Orange County International Raceway, where it was only beaten by a 427 Corvette.

Though costly to maintain, the 300 SEL 6.3 is a highly collectible automobile in today's discerning market.

Source: Bonhams, Conceptcarz, Supercars, Wikipedia, other