Since I first looked at the vehicle tag, I wondered what /8 meant. I knew it was not an 8 passenger car (barely room for 2.5 even with the optional jump seat). I recounted the cylinders and always came up with 6, so it couldn't mean 8 cylinders; and the car had more than 8 horsepower (thank goodness). I do have at least 8 dings in the aluminum areas but these do not seem to be factory installed dings.
The Big Blue Service Manual uses the same /8 nomenclature so I knew it was "official" but I didn't know why /8 was used.
Well, for those who can't wait to hear the answer I recently learned about the /8: there were a number of changes made to Mercedes export cars to comply with US mandated safety and emissions rules. You can see these on the lists of production changes for these cars.
A large number of such changes were made at one time in 1968 (hint) when 280 SL production began. It seems that Mercedes designated cars (chassis) that had these complying 1968 changes by adding /8 to the model number. The /8 designation was either required by US rules or was a way for MB to show that a chassis was in compliance.
These 1968 changes were carried into later years and the complying cars continued to receive the /8 no matter what year the car was produced...so 280 SL's for all years were designated as 280 SL/8.
I understand that some chassis (114 or 115?) may have received these changes in 1969 and were given /9 designations as in 114/9 (not sure about this.)
I know you are all pleased to have the /8 mystery cleared up. I suspect that Klaus Drexl knew about this all along but held back the information so as not to show off.
Richard M, Lover of 113 Trivia
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