Year of the Fintail

[waqas]

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the 111 chassis-- the heckflosse. This is when Mercedes introduced the pronounced tailfins in their sedan lines. 

Interestingly, today's New York Times has an article marking the beginning of the end of massively fintailed cars coming out of Detroit (circa 1959). The photo slideshow is especially cool.

The 111 coupes/cabriolets and our 113 pagodas got the subtle end of this design feature, and in my opinion, MB designers got it just right on these cars.

[Jonny B]

I would certainly agree. I really like the subtle "fin" if you can call it that on the 113 (that nice little bump just behind the door). And of course, I think the 111 cars still present themselves well.

[mdsalemi]

Dan,

Did the 300SE come in a LWB, too?  I have only heard this SWB/LWB in reference to 600's.

[Dave Gallon]

The 300SE fintail sedan came in two versions. Chassis type 112.014 (the 300SE) has a wheelbase of 2750 mm while chassis type 112.015 (the 300SE long, never 300SEL) has a wheelbase of 2850 mm. This is not really the same long wheelbase as a 600 where an entire extra door or panel is inserted. Long in this case is analogous to the 280SE vs. 280SEL sedan or the 450SE vs. 450SEL sedan. Total production of the 300SE long was 1546 so this makes it extremely rare. Especially when you consider that most of them have been lost to rust and the crusher.

On the subject of long wheelbase fintails, it is appropriate to mention that Mercedes also produced an extended version of the 200D (chassis type 110.110) and the 230 (chassis type 110.011). Both of these have a wheelbase of 3350 mm and do have an additional panel like the 600 LWB, They were available under option code 846 with a seating capacity of 7 or 8 persons and option code 847 with a seating capacity of 5 or 6 persions. However, whereas the 300SE long was the most luxurious fintail produced, the 200D / 230 extended wheelbase were utilitarian  vehicles often used by hotels as airport limosines and the like. You can see one of these in the 1969 film by Alfred Hitchcock entitled "Topaz". Finally, to avoid the question before it is mentioned, these extended wheelbase vehicles were made by Daimler-Benz; they are not special coachwork produced by Binz or Meisen who produced ambulances/hearses/station wagons or IMA in Belgium who produced the Universal.

[66andBlue]

... the 300SE long, never 300SEL) ...

So what does the "L" mean in any of them if not "long", "luxury" or something similar?

[immelmann]

'L' stands for 'Lang', extended chassis.

Thomas

[66andBlue]

Thomas,
that is what I had assumed also.  But I asked because there are some conflicting explanations out there. For example, in Wikipedia
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_W112) you'll find this text: "The long wheelbase version of the 300SE sedan was introduced one year later. It is often referred to as 300SEL, similar to later naming conventions, even though the L in its successor 300 SEL (W109)) originally referred to Luftfederung, as it was fitted with air suspension, as all W112 had been."
The German Wikipedia has the same explanation: "Dennoch taucht beim „langen“ 300 SE kein „L“ in der Typbezeichnung auf dem Kofferdeckel oder in den Prospekten auf. Die Bezeichnung „300 SEL“ wurde erst beim Nachfolgemodell vom Typ W109 eingeführt, und auch dort steht das „L“ für „Luftfederung“. Daher ist es falsch, einen langen Heckflossen-300 SE als „SEL“ zu bezeichnen, nur weil es ein Wagen mit langem Radstand ist."
If this is correct then the "L" in the later models (W109) does not mean long, although a 300SEL (W109) is indeed 10 cm longer than a 300SE (W108).
Perhaps on even later cars (for example 1976 W117 models) that did not have air suspension the L = long, who knows?
What is also curious is the space between the SE and the L in the badge on the trunk on the earlier cars and the equal distance on later ones.