What Type Of Interior Do You have

[Ministrone]

That looks great. What is that called ? It is clearly MB tex with cloth but what is its correct name ?

Beats me!
I love it despite my parents refusal to even sit in it
I suppose its a question of taste

[CraigS]

This type of check upholstery is a very common interior in German cars - they love it ! Most W116 and W123's of the period, delivered in Germany, had this interior.

[116.025]

Hi Chad, I agree with you that your type of upholstery is very smart looking. I have seen it in 350 SLC models as well, but I suspect it was only fitted to the early models. Regards, Styria

Thank you, Styria, I've never head my interior called smart looking before, but I like it!  I've decided since acquiring the 350SE that I most definitely like the thicker door moulding (which I guess is a topic for the thread about door moulding...) even though I had gotten accustomed to the thinner moulds in my 280SE.  I think I've seen that interior on 107s as late as 1980, but I'm not sure.  Though as long as the 107s ran, I guess that could be considered the early models! 

Thanks for the info CraigS, that makes sense.  There are two Euro 123s in the family and both have the check (or plaid/vinyl combo as I refer to it) interior.  I like it too, because the UV doesn't disintegrate it like it does the nap on the velour.  Velour in good condition is nice, but virtually impossible to find in the US, partially because replacements aren't as easy to come by, and because I don't think it was offered here, either.

[James R]

BTW my 6.9 has thin door mouldings. I'd prefer the thicker ones as, to me, they just look sturdier and more luxurious. Curious really because my car a 1978 car so you'd have thought they'd have put the thicker ones on a late model 6.9

Ho hum

[gregdeklerk]

An SEL with thin panels??? Please post a photo again.

[s class]

James if you do have thin door panels in your SEL, it would be the first one that we know of. 

Tartan cloth is common on 1980 model year South African built 116's.  In fact, mine is one of the few '80's with leather.

I don't think velour or tex were available on South African 116's - Greg have you seen any?

Ryan

[James R]

Oh, now you have me questioning myself. I'll put up some pictures at the weekend - I'm in Paris at the moment and doing all this on my PDA. I don't have any tartan in my car though ! I'll be back to you.

James

[gregdeklerk]

Ryan, I have only seen the tartan cloth and leather for SA 116's. I seen one with MB-tex, but that was a German built car!!

Plenty of cloth (plain cloth not velour) and MB-tex on the 123's. I think MBSA felt that their S classes were to have leather only.

[mirafioriman]

I am in the UK and have a W116 450 SEL 6.9 and a W109 300 SEL 6.3. Both these cars were supplied with velour. Before buying the 6.3 I did lots of reading and read about how in the UK leather and air con were standard. So the car I buy has velour and no air con! Then I look at a 6.9 (should have bought it) and it had velour. The one I then bought also velour. It seems that you could have leather as standard but many in the UK prefered velour. I do actually like the older velour, but also think that 'leather really makes a car'.

[Martin 280s]

I've seen quite a few older MB's with really scraggy leather seats but lovely paint. In Brazil, people just don't take care of leather, they forget it is skin and needs to be moisturised regularly. If you can get good leather here it's great otherwise MB-Tex is where it's at. Velour is like the proverbial hen's teeth, and if you fine it, it's worn and dried out.

[John Hubertz]

Mine is leather with the optional orthopedic seats (a drawstring controls lumbar bolsters and emerges just above the package webbing).

Ivory in color - my car is the clone of the car in the 1977 USA brochure - it was ordered to match except for the sunroof delete, as the original owner was well over 6' tall.  (....ahhh, now you know the secret of the name "Max Headroom")

[frikkie]

Ryan, I have only seen the tartan cloth and leather for SA 116's. I seen one with MB-tex, but that was a German built car!!

Plenty of cloth (plain cloth not velour) and MB-tex on the 123's. I think MBSA felt that their S classes were to have leather only.

This is mine:


Not sure whether that is MB-Tex?

[gregdeklerk]

Ryan, I have only seen the tartan cloth and leather for SA 116's. I seen one with MB-tex, but that was a German built car!!

Plenty of cloth (plain cloth not velour) and MB-tex on the 123's. I think MBSA felt that their S classes were to have leather only.

This is mine:


Not sure whether that is MB-Tex?

Welcome to the forum Frikkie, I see a fellow South African. I know your car!!! That is the white 280SE, bought from Juan in Durbanville!! I know Juan from the Mercedes Club. It looks to me like a retrim, but they did a good job!

Greg

[frikkie]

Thanks mate.

Yes, I'm now the proud owner of the car - picked it up last night.

It is a retrim - Juan mentioned that the cloth etc was brought in from Germany to have it done. Very, very good job.

[frikkie]

Hi frikkie, welcome to the forum from OZ country as well. It is certainly an unusual trim I have not seen previously. Hope you enjoy the forumand that you will follow in the footsteps of all the other SA guys by taking an active and valuable part. Regards. Styria

Thanks styria! 

Certainly plan too, yes.

I'll be in your neck of the woods for the first 2 weeks of June... flying to Sydney for work.