temptation

[olliparr]

My local garage had a W108 250 cabriolet in the other day and I confess I was sorely tempted to stray from the W116 path of righteousness....anybody else had similar vena experiences?

[OzBenzHead]

My local garage had a W108 250 cabriolet in the other day and I confess I was sorely tempted to stray from the W116 path of righteousness....anybody else had similar vena experiences?

That would - assuming it's a genuine factory cabrio - be a W111 series: the 'Fintail' or 'Heckflosse', of which there were  coupe and cabrio versions. The rear fins were very muted - almost disappeared - but there remain vestigal traces (whereas on the W108 they were forever gone and there was neither coupe nor cabrio of the W108 series). The W111 coupe and cabrio came in 220SE, 250SE, 280SE, and 280SE 3.5 engine versions.

I have a W112 coupe - the 300SE got its own series number - but it is, bodily, identical to the W111 coupe, and commonly regarded as one of the most beautiful and balanced body designs ever to come from M-B. Check it out in my photo gallery (accessible via the link in my signature). All I can say about the cabrio version is that it's highly desirable. If the one you're looking at is sound, treat yourself!

[John Hubertz]

Interesting....although what I tend to be tempted by are other sedans of similar utility to the W116.... here are some examples:


(1981 - 1988 Lincoln Continental)


(1961 - 1963 Lincoln Continental)

And here's the BIG boy....



(1978 Lincoln Town Car with skyliner roof option)

[OzBenzHead]

Ollipar: Styria's comments in relation to the W112 300SE coupe are true; however, the one you're looking at - the W111 250SE cabrio - is:

(a) is unlikely to have leather trim (should be M-B-Tex or the earlier unperforated vinyl that looked more like leather than did the M-B leather of the time), depending on year of manufacture, but I think by the time it had grown from a 220SE to a 250SE it became the Tex);

(b) has less brightwork (chrome/stainless) than the W112; the W112 has extra brights - a side "rubbing" strip at waist height, as well as bright wheel-arch trims; I think the 220SE had no bright trim on the sills, but by the time 250 had arrived so had the broad sill trim. There is also large brightwork covering the opening edges of the doors on the W112; I'm not sure that all the W111 coupes and cabrios had that piece; and

(c) the W112 300SE was the only version with air-cell suspension; the W11 had conventional steel springs.

You certainly aren't looking at a car with the all-alloy, potentially expensive-to-repair engine, though.

Once that model reached 280SE 3.5 (V8) designation, the radiator grille was lowered (rather like an elephant had sat on it!), which, to my eye, spoiled the balance of the design. It was. no doubt, an attempt to "modernise" the car's appearance, but was less than successful.