Seating capacity 3 ??

[ctm14]

Hello,

  I am seeing quite a few vehicles where the plate in the door jam indicates a seating capacity of 3 but the car does not have a kinder seat.  Does this indicate that someone along the line removed this seat during a restoration and why do you suspect they would have done this, cost reduction??

[Bob G ✝︎]

CTM 14:

Yes is my opinion. I own a 1968 280SL with a kinder seat the door plate says three seater. you have the option of temoving the seat buy opening the soft top horseshoeand unscrewing the cureled knob the hold the back rest and lifting the bottom seat cushion up ward. two carpeted boards were supplied so you can have it any way you want .

the kinder seat option was offered but few people know about it. it is a transmounted seat  that sits side ways and has a cut out well for you feet with the left rear capeted board removed. This propely the best way to check if a W113 was originally equipped with this option. Some restored cars the kinder seat option was sold and the wood capeted board put back in place.

Checking the Vin plate can tell you a lot  about  these cars.

Bob Geco

[Dave Gallon]

Actually, sorry, it does not mean the seat has been removed. My 1968 280SL (113044-12-001155) has been in my possession since January 1973 and I have the vehicle data card. The transverse third seat has never been fitted. However, the DOT plate states three as the seating capacity. I believe this is strictly a US version issue and only in the approximate (!) period of 1967 to 1969. I would be please to hear more solid data.

[bogeyman]

Well, not to further confuse this but my 1969 with kinder seat (original) lists the capacity as 2 ??
My 1970 without kinder lists front seat as 2 and rear as 0.