Dressed for Success
New Generation 1972 250C Coupe

Styled by the great Paul Bracq, the Mercedes-Benz “New Generation” of 1968-1976 rode on the company’s first all-new postwar chassis. As this striking black & white coupe demonstrates, these affordable modern classics have lost none of their original appeal.
 
Article Roy Spencer
Photography Gary Anderson

The distinctive flowing lines and understated features of this elegant coupe are typical touches of stylist Paul Bracq, who gave the car a fixed hardtop that seems to float lightly above the body.

Each successive chief engineer at Mercedes-Benz has launched sweeping changes in design themes, engineering approaches, and marketing strategies. Perhaps no transition from one era to the next was more significant to the company’s modern structure than when Hans Scherenberg replaced Fritz Nallinger at the helm at the end of 1965. When the models that Scherenberg brought to the drawing tables began emerging on the market in 1968, the company had moved from a singular marketing strategy to one that recognized differentiated marketing niches for the first time.

The car pictured here, a 1972 250C coupe built on the W114 chassis and introduced in January 1968, exemplifies the change in attitude among product planners in Stuttgart. That attitude can be traced along an unbroken line of model introductions right up to the Detroit International Auto Show in February this year, when Dr. Dieter Zetsche rolled out the four different body styles with two different performance levels built into the 2014 E-Class lineup.

The front treatment of the car is identical to the W114/W115 sedans, imposing and elegant at the same time.

In January 1968, Mercedes-Benz introduced the completely new 6-cylinder W114 and 4-cylinder W115 sedans, with identical body styles, alongside the updated and pricier W108 280S and SE. For the first time, Mercedes offered distinctive models for the luxury and intermediate markets. The W108s and W114s of 1968 might, therefore, be considered the antecedents to today’s S- and E-Class models. Similar to today’s strategies to offer a range of body styles within each model series, a coupe designated as the 250C was released on the W114 chassis by November 1968.

Due to an idiosyncrasy of vehicle identification numbers, the W114s and W115s had a “/8” in their number and are now often referred to by enthusiasts in the United States as “slash-8s,” in Britain as “stroke-8s,” and in Germany as “stricht-8s.”

Through the years of their production, more than 1.9 million of these slash-8s were manufactured. With many of these cars enduring a generally tough life, few are collectible or of interest to the Mercedes enthusiast. However, as is the case with any lower-echelon M-B product, any survivor example in good, original condition is still collectible. But when a specific model carries a level of distinctive elegance in styling, and also is rare, it is absolutely collectible regardless of specification. This brings us to the car featured here.

The rear end of the car displays stylist Paul Bracq’s sleight-of-hand in using the proportions of the top to make a large trunk and rear end look small, and the signature soft-curve rear corners that he had introduced earlier on the W111 220S coupe and cabriolet.

Among the 1.9 million slash-8 variants produced, barely 3 percent (67,066) were of the elegant and understated pillarless-coupe configuration. All coupes shared both the 108.3-inch wheelbase and 184.3-inch overall length of their four-door siblings. Coupe powertrains mirrored those of the 6-cylinder gasoline sedans, with capacities of the 2.5-liter SOHC (M114), 2.8-liter SOHC (M130) and the lively 2.8-liter DOHC (M110).

Type designations can be confusing, especially during that period when manufacturers were coping with emerging emissions restrictions in the United States. Our feature car is a U.S. model 1972 250C fitted with the 2.8-liter M130 engine with two dual-throat downdraft Zenith carburetors. None of the U.S. model 114 coupes were equipped with fuel injection or the optional 5-speed gearbox.

The interior displays a similar tidy combination of wood and soft trim.

The 1972 full-line brochure chauvinistically notes that our 250C “is designed for the man who prefers the élan of a Coupe to the ultimate functionality of a four-door sedan.” Indeed. With the same cavernous trunk capacity as the sedan and spacious rear seating despite the awkward entry, the coupe is quite functional, and well-sorted examples are comfortable tour and event candidates.

Performance falls into the “adequate” category, with 0-62 mph times of 13 seconds and a top speed of 112 mph. We have to remember this cool coupe has just over 146 horsepower to push a decidedly upright 3,100-pound design down the road. Fuel mileage can be an acceptable 18 miles per gallon or so while touring, but that is largely determined by proper carburetor health and adjustment.

The gauge display showed an equally understated evolution from the overstyled W111 cluster. The optional period radio and a/c make the car comfortable.

What should you look for when inspecting a 250C coupe? The cars can suffer from most of the typical issues found on any M-B of that era. Rust can be an issue, particularly on the trunk floor and any lower body panel exposed to road grime and moisture/salt kickup. Cracked dashboards and distressed interior trim are common issues: You should be ready to walk away from a car needing extensive interior restoration. However, the most common malady would be drivability issues relating to carburetion. Carburetor housings warp and throttle shafts wear, causing infuriating stumbling and dying, not to mention abysmal fuel mileage. The Solex 4A1 found on the U.S. 280Cs (1972-1976) seems to be the most difficult to sort out. Meeting progressively tightening U.S. emissions standards strained M-B’s ability to deliver a carburetor that offered consistent performance.

The M130 2.8-liter SOHC engine the U.S. market received in the 250Cs is quite robust, but the U.S. version of the 2.8-liter twin-cam M110 engine found in the 280Cs can be troublesome. Cam tower oiling issues led to flat cams and oil leaks were common. Transmissions and differentials were understressed and typically robust given proper maintenance.

The small bumper coupes (1969-1973) are the most attractive, although a well-preserved 1974-1976 280C has to be considered as well. The notion of paying extra money and buying the best of a breed is particularly relevant when searching for a 114 coupe. This will change, however, as buyers continue to recognize the 114-series coupes as crisply styled, well-constructed and comfortable young classics.

SPECIFICATIONS | 1972 Mercedes-Benz 250C (W114)
TYPE: Two-door, four-passenger coupe
ENGINE: 6-cylinder overhead-cam 2,778cc 
TRANSMISSION:  4-speed automatic 
HORSEPOWER: 146 at 5,400 rpm   
TORQUE: 161.3 lb-ft at 3,800 rpm
WHEELBASE: 108.3 in    LENGTH: 184.3 in 
CURB WEIGHT: 3,100 lb   
ACCELERATION: Zero-62 mph: 13 sec 
TOP SPEED: 112 mph
FUEL ECONOMY: 18 mpg

The M130 engine was underpowered, but typical of the early emissions-sensitive period.