Headrests and VIN--USA

[mdsalemi]

OK trivia detail experts--anyone besides Doug and Rodd??

Sometime between the 1968 and 1969 model year for USA spec cars, MB added headrests to the seat backs.  My car, VIN xxxxxx-7262 had them.  At what point in the VIN sequence were headrests added?


Michael Salemi
1969 280SL
Signal Red w/Black Leather
Restored

[A Dalton]

I allways thought that all US/.044s had headrest, from start of production

[mdsalemi]

quote:Originally posted by A Dalton

I allways thought that all US/.044s had headrest, from start of production

...and you would be wrong.  I've seen in the last week, an early 1968 (one of the first after the 250SL) and an [earlier then mine] 1969, both w/o headrests nor with any place for them in the seats.  Both were US Spec, both 113.044.......

Anyone have an answer?  I'm not playing a trivia game here, trying to find out the information for a friend.

Michael Salemi
1969 280SL
Signal Red w/Black Leather
Restored

[Bob G ✝︎]

I now Michael is looking for the answer as to when the start of manitory headrest were made standard equipment. I do not now this answer but I am sure it is in the big Pagoda book I have at home. I will look tonight.
As far as offering head rest Daimler-Benz offer such items as optional equipment for thier sedans and Limosine but strangely not the SL. This comes from information in the Special Equipment cataloge for 1967.68.
Bob Geco

[A Dalton]

I consider Frank Mallory to be more knowedgable about this than myself , so you may want to consider his 113 Chrono..

http://113.mbz.org/chrono/

 Do not assume a 280 without headreat has original seats , as I know of many that  have been changed for the prefered BasketWeave of the earlier .043 , along with Squareweave rugs.

[Tom]

Michael,


I would not assume that the cars you saw were original-unless it is a car owned by the original owner and he can verify it has not been modified.

Best,

Tom

1971 280sl Tunis Beige Metallic (restored & enhanced)
1971 280sl Tobacco Brown (low mileage stock)
1970 280sl Deep Red (Project Car)

[Douglas]

The August 1968 Road & Track clearly shows a 280 SL with CA plates without headrests. I'm with Michael on this one -- I'm confident some of the early US-spec 280SLs came without headrests.

Frank Mallory must have had a good reason to write what he did, so I can't help but wonder whether "Headrests added to seats" in 1/68 means headrests became available as an option as of 1/68.

I'll see what else I can dig up on the subject.

Douglas Kim
New York, NY
280 SL #016220

[A Dalton]

DK
 Thats a possible ..

 I have the Factory Supplementary Parts for US/DOT Demands
manual 11-172 at work and will check mine also.

[Mike Hughes]

Head rests were not required on U.S. vehicles for the 1968 model year.  However they were mandatory for the 1969 model year.  1968 imports also did not have to have headrests in the U.S., while 1969 imports did have them.  So it stands to reason that perhaps the break point would be either the first 1969 model year unit or the first 1969 model year U.S. spec unit?

- Mike Hughes  -ô¿ô-
  1966 230SL Auto P/S
  Havanna Brown (408)
  Light Beige (181)
  Cream M-B Tex (121)

[Bob G ✝︎]

The headrest were offer from chassie #004052 according to the big parts manual that would put the date to August 1968 They were offered in July 1968 as an extra cost option in Germany & Europe. They became standard equipment because of the DOT regulations in the year 1970 for the 280SL model.
I own this information to my good friend & restorer David Gallon.
Bob Geco