Hi everyone,
First time poster; longtime lurker. Good to see you all here.
Sorry if this has been brought up before, but I'd like to get to the bottom of it: how many 6.9s were actually made?
Wikipedia tells us there were 7380 made for the world, and 1816 for North America. But accounts differ (even on the actual Wiki page) as to whether the 7380 includes the 1816.
If it does, that would bring the total to 9196 instead of the widely accepted figure of 7380.
My confusion stems from Wikipedia's claim that there were only 129 cars made for the 1980 model year for the world, but North America received 317. If the total of 7380 is supposed to include North American cars, how is that mathematically possible?
...
Now, not to overwhelm you (feel free to respond to the question above first), but I have another question too. Since all 6.9s were automatic, the only variable digit in a 6.9 VIN was the seventh digit, since it denoted left-hand drive or right-hand drive. This meant that the VIN could start with either 11603612 (LHD) or 11603622 (RHD), followed by 00XXXX (the serial number of the car). My question is this: since the VIN could start with either of those two prefixes (RHD and LHD), does that mean there could technically be repeated serial numbers for different markets?
For instance, could a car made for the UK have the VIN 1160362200001, while a car made for North America has the VIN 1160361200001? Could these cars coexist, or was the sequencing of VINs fully chronological (i.e. the serial numbers were never repeated)?
1st question :
There were 7380 models produced for the world, which includes the US models.
https://mercedes-benz-publicarchive.com/marsClassic/en/instance/ko/450-SEL-69--V-116-E-69-1975---1980.xhtml?oid=4875 (https://mercedes-benz-publicarchive.com/marsClassic/en/instance/ko/450-SEL-69--V-116-E-69-1975---1980.xhtml?oid=4875)
If you look at the General Data tab you can see that even Mercedes-Benz says 7380 units produced. Looking at the production table on Wikipedia, if you add those US numbers up you're 24 cars short of 1816 (a total of 1792 US units acording to the table). So I would take it with a grain of salt.
2nd question :
The sequencing of the VIN numbers is chronological. It doesn't matter if it's LHD or RHD, manual or automatic. The only time they reused the serial number is with different models, i.e. a 280s (WDB11602012000700) and a 450 SEL 6.9 (WDB11603612000700).
Excellent, thanks. I didn't even realize that those numbers didn't add up to 1816. In fact, upon second glance I realized that the numbers under the "World" column actually add up to 7384. The four cars supposedly produced for the 1981 model year seem... extra? Not sure.
I've tried using those (now unreliable) numbers to determine which VINs were made for which model years, but I've been met with some discrepancies. For example, this 6.9 on Bring A Trailer (https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1978-mercedes-benz-450sel-6-9-2/) has VIN 11603612001493, which would make it the 1493rd car made. According to the Wikipedia table (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_450SEL_6.9#Specifications), that makes it a 1976 model. Yet in the listing, it's clearly titled as a 1978 model.
Where can I find accurate figures for how many cars were produced for each model year, or from what VIN to what VIN were made for each year?
Mercedes were titled the year first sold, not their actual birthday. 1493 is a 1976 car. My car 1951 is the second car of 1977, though it was actually starter assy in 1976.
I would very much like to know howe many still survive!
227 officially into Australia, but at least 100 more imported grey market.
a post from previous, including 6.9 #1 in Australia (I was also very sceptical but seems legit)
https://forum.w116.org/test-drive/lowest-vin-6-9s/msg136908/#msg136908
HI
where can you find out when a particular car was built?? and which Vin numbers when to what country??
My 6.9 is #7171 so one of the last but was it built in '79 or 80 ??
Thanks
Also can you get heritage certificates from Mercedes Benz? and how?
Thanks
Mercedes never kept up with when a car was built according to its VIN. Though, ID tags on the car, as well as the data card, usually had the completed build date stamped on them. The "birth certificates", as Mercedes called them, haven't been available in nearly 10 years. So unless they've started offering them again that'll be something we can't get. Alternatively, you can compare your VIN with someone within close range to your VIN if they happen to know the completed build date of their car. This will allow you to approximate when your car was completed.
If you have the data card or the production order, you can see the year of construction.
(https://s15.directupload.net/images/181130/9g96c9b8.jpg)
Example:
Auftrags-Nr. (order number)
-> 07 = year of order = 1977
-> 283 = dealer or type of clientele = employees factory (other numbercode look at MB code list)
-> 63047 = consecutive number related to Nr. "283"
Produkt.-Nr. (produktion Number)
-> 8 = Year of produktion = 1978
Can I find out if I do not have a data card??
You can also find a data card in the trunk on the cross member under the rear window.
(https://s12.directupload.net/images/200502/8hgsrb3f.jpg)
;D but you'll have to remove the original W116 suitcases first to get to the data card.
It's a picture from the Internet. Unfortunately not mine. :-\
Hi Wolfgang,
Quote from: Wolfgang Germany on 05 May 2020, 02:38 AM
Unfortunately not mine. :-\
yes, but my car and my suitcases... :)
Regards,
Thomas
Hi Thomas,
sorry for using your image with your car. I was looking for "trunk W116" on google pictures and it was one of the first pictures, which shows the cross member in the trunk. :)
Great! Do you have the complete case set?
@ Thomas
Only now I understand it! The world is small! ;D
By the way, i tested the suspension this morning. The cylinder on the front regulator still doesn't come out. >:(
I think you have to give me some solutions again ...
pic: no problem.
Yes, I do have the complete set (5pieces if I remember right).
2 big suitcases, 2 small, 1 for hat
Valve: will send you an email.
regards,
Thomas