MERCEDES - BENZ
THE 1950s
The 300S and Sc W188
1951 – 1958
and
The Men behind the Marque
By Bernd S. Koehling
Copyright 2012 Bernd S. Koehling
Smashwords Edition
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CONTENT
The Cars
First of all I would like to thank you for having purchased this book and I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. It is part of an e-book series that covers all cars produced by Daimler-Benz during the 1950s and 1960s.
The early 1950s was still a difficult time for Daimler-Benz, although it was a vastly different scenario to the late forties in Europe. The Marshall Plan (officially called the European Recovery Program or ERP) and in Germany the currency reform had a huge impact on the restructuring efforts and the general morale of the people. Although in the early fifties most of the physical manufacturing capability was still not yet rebuilt, the technological capability and skill of the worker and engineer was intact.
Launching in quick succession within a single year one up-market six-cylinder, a big luxury sedan and the ultra luxurious 300S was quite an achievement just six years after the war. But those cars were needed to slowly start developing the export business again. Participating in European Motor Shows, although done with a certain amount of apprehension, was a first and vital step to re-establish the image of Daimler-Benz as one of the world's premier automotive companies again.
It is doubtful that Daimler-Benz made any money with the 300S series, but such cars were part of the reason, why Road&Track once wrote: "...if you judge all the cars in the world on the basis of engineering, construction integrity, reliability and the degree of perfection with which they fill their intended function, then the ten best cars in the world are probably all built by Mercedes Benz."
March 2012
Bernd S. Koehling
MB 300Sc W188 II (1955 – 1958)
If Geenie would have granted me a wish, I would have loved to be part of the team that made the decision to launch the 300S shortly after the 300 sedan. A discussion to top the sedan with an even more luxurious two-door version is not only an engineer’s dream, every car aficionado would have truly enjoyed being part of the decision process. In today’s world of global competition, car manufacturers are forced to have a cost conscious approach to the launch of any new car. With prestige marques such as Daimler-Benz, BMW, Audi, Lexus, Infiniti and luckily now again Jaguar, supremacy in engineering plays an important part of delivering the message that a person, who buys such a car, acquires something unique.
Who could have imagined more than sixty years ago that cost of production, budget limitations, ease of manufacturing, future repair costs etc. will dominate the way super cars are being developed. In the fifties and possibly still in the sixties, Daimler-Benz could afford to put excellence in engineering almost always on top of their decision making process, when it came to the creation of a new car model. The best was just good enough, which interestingly is their marketing message today again. And sometimes, even the best could still be bettered, such was their thinking. Otherwise cars like the 300S or later the 600 could not have been imagined. It was pretty similar with British car companies such as Rolls- Royce, Alvis, Daimler, Rover and of course Jaguar. Sadly, they either perished or have since been taken over. American rivals were
already “a step ahead” by trying to squeeze as many dollars as possible out of a given development. They had to appeal to the masses, as they had a huge home market to satisfy. Uniqueness and creativity was tolerated, as long as the bottom line didn’t suffer. Occasionally they tried, like Ford with the beautiful hand-built Continental Mk II from 1955 – 1957. But when the sales did not justify such an endeavor, those projects were quickly abandoned.
So in October 1951, just six months after the launch of the 220 and 300 sedans, Daimler-Benz did it again. Introducing the 300S so shortly after the other two six-cylinders was a massive undertaking for a company still recovering from WWII. But the launch of the 300S at the Paris International Motor Show put the company right to the top of automotive manufacturers heaven again. The olymp they had to abandon because of WWII was reclaimed again. The Kompressor masterpieces of the thirties found their rightful successor in the 300S.
Marketed as one of the top luxury vehicles in the world, it had its technical genes from the 300 sedan, but on a 140mm (6 in) shorter chassis. The engine received a boost, as the compression ratio had been increased from 6.4:1 to 7.8:1. Three carburetors helped to achieve a power output of 150 DIN hp, which gave the car a top speed of 176km/h (109m/h). Compared to the pre-1940 5.4-liter supercharged straight-eight cylinder cars, they achieved the same acceleration and top speed using only half the fuel.
The 300S had rubber protected bumpers, the later Sc lacked this feature
Leather seats usually came without piping, but they look good on this car
Compared to a 540K Spezialroadster with a wheelbase of 3,290 mm or 130 in, the new 300S’ wheelbase had shrunk to just 2,900 mm or 114 in. They had also lost a ton of weight from their pre-war siblings. What they hadn’t lost though was an image of pre-war beauty, as director Herrmann Ahrens, who designed the 300, had been in charge of special vehicle department before the war and had designed some versions of the stunning 540K.
The 300S was offered in three different versions: a coupe, a roadster and a cabriolet. Difference between the roadster and the cabriolet was the lack of those great looking landau bars and a little thinner padded roof with the roadster. Thus the roadster had the ability to store its soft top under a low-lying cover, which made the car look extremely elegant with the top down. It was the first time after the war that Daimler-Benz offered such a soft-top variation. That decision could well have been influenced for example by British companies such as Bentley or Alvis, who offered similar designs for some time already with their superb looking drop head coupes.
As the completely hand built car was prohibitively expensive, Daimler-Benz made tailor made luggage a no cost option. But that was for the trunk only. If you wanted to have additional luggage for the rear compartment, that could be arranged of course, but at additional charges this time. Even at the price level of the 300S, generosity had its limits. Over the few years, this wonderful car had been built, 216 coupes, 203 cabriolets and 141 roadsters of the 300S were sold. While the four-door cabriolet version of the 300 was far more expensive than its sedan counterpart, Daimler-Benz made a clever move by offering all three body styles of the 300S at 34,500. - DM 8,200. - US$). Shipping costs, import taxes and dealer margins made the car even more expensive abroad. The US selling price was a whopping 14,000. - US$. A Cadillac Series 62 convertible could be bought for less than 4,000. - US$ at that time. When Cadillac introduced the ultra luxurious Eldorado, prices moved up for that car to 7,700. - US$. Although this was still almost half of what the 300S cost, people balked at the prices, as it was a fully 87% above the standard Series 62 convertible. Maybe Cadillac customers weren’t used to such extravagant pricing; consequently sales figures disappointed, as only 532 could be sold in 1952. Later, when Cadillac based the Eldorado on the 62, prices went down and the Eldorado became a success.
The pricing story was a different one for Daimler-Benz of course. Like Bentley and Rolls-Royce cars, the 300S was not only hand built. Its quality and attention to even the smallest detail let these dream cars play in a league of their own. The 300’s unique design was also not based on any lesser model. Daimler-Benz sold 113 of the 300S in 1952. The first cars left Sindelfingen in July of that year. One year later, 353 managed to find their appreciative customers.
300S Coupe with a 300SL-style rear window, a unique aftermarket addition
The picture is not "photo-shopped", this 300Sc was really parked there at the coast of Ireland
When you look at the comparably huge US market and see it against the situation in Germany so soon after the war, one has to admit that the 300S was a success compared to the early Eldorados. It also managed to outsell its noble British rivals.
Although the car was advertised as a particular representative car with a sporty touch, I doubt whether its affluent clientele ever had anything sporty in mind when they bought the car. But of course it always felt good to be seen in a car that was perceived to be sporty and luxurious at the same time. Owning a car that offered all the creature comfort and luxury its proud owner could think off, while being able at the same time to outperform a true sports car like a Porsche 356 sure had its merits already in the fifties.
The 300Sc with a bigger engine
In 1954 the car received its first upgrade, the same brake booster as the 300b. In 1955 it was decided to improve the car further. Sales had fallen to only 37 units in 1954. As stated earlier, it was 353 units the year before! While the sedan was changed from 300b to 300c, the 300S omitted the “b” and moved straight to 300Sc. Both new cars were presented at the Frankfurt International Motor Show IAA in September of 1955 and offered now a single-joint swing axle with a low pivot point. While the sedan’s engine remained unchanged, the 300Sc’s engine did away with the three carburetors in favor of a Bosch direct injection, similar to the one offered in the 300SL. Compression ratio increased from 7.8:1 to 8.55:1 and output rose from 150 to 175 hp, giving the car now a top speed of 180km/h (112m/h).
The bodywork had also seen a few changes. Most notably, more chrome had been added. Whether this was to the better is from the purist’s point of view at least debatable. Bumpers now lacked their rubber protection and a chrome strip ran all the way from the front to the rear wheel cutouts, similar to the 220S/SE ponton model. Some people argued that Daimler-Benz stylists went a bit overboard with applying that much chrome to a classic and well balanced design. On the other hand, sales people needed to show potential customers also from the outside a new or at least slightly different car. After all, the Sc cost 2,000. – DM (475. – US$) more than the S.
A few more distinctions between old and new were not immediately noticeable: two chromed cooling slits above each front fender, perforated chromed disc wheels and enlarged turn signals to the rear and front. The rear bumper now made reference to the new engine in form of the lettering “Einspritzmotor” (Injection Engine).
Sadly, despite its technical improvements, only 200 units were produced of all three body styles of the 300Sc over a production span of three years. What both, the S and the Sc unfortunately lacked were essentials, people in markets such as the US expected to get with that kind of purchase price: power steering, air conditioning, power seats, power soft tops and of course automatic transmission. None of that was available. On top of that and despite its undeniable grandeur, at the end the cars looked too much “bygone era” to its potential clientele.
A beautiful luggage set came as standard equipment
Unusual features on this coupe are the floor mounted gearshift and the 300SL Roadster-style instrument lay-out in a specially made wooden surrounding. Cars like this you keep for life
300S engine had three Solex downdraft carburetors and produced 150 DIN hp at 5,000 rpm
The Sc fuel injected engine produced 175 DIN hp at 4,500 rpm
Webasto sun roofs were a rarely ordered option
Some consider the 300S without the chrome strips along the wheel cutouts to be more elegant than the Sc
And the fact that Mercedes offered the 300SL in roadster version some 4,000. - DM (950. - US$) cheaper, didn’t really help the 300Sc. In fact, the 300Sc was the complete antithesis to the SL and for some people it was hard to believe that both cars were actually produced by the same company. In April 1958 it was finally time to wave good-bye to one of the last hallmarks of pre-war design. To wave good-bye to a masterpiece that was created by people, who didn’t need to have the bottom line in mind.
For many owners, the 300S and Sc were used as second or even third car and not often exposed to such “low level tasks” as regular daily driver. From the beginning, the Herrman Ahrens designed cars were icons of an era that had already crossed the finishing line at the time of their inception. The cars were owned by affluent people, who saw to it that their priced possessions were maintained regularly, so they would keep their value for many years to come. Other cars, which eventually end up in the second-hand car market, loose a great deal of their value before over time their prices increase again and they reach eventually collector status. The 300S and Sc didn’t really leave collector status, especially the open versions. Unless they were badly neglected, they seldom reached a status, which one could describe as affordable. Although their design was regarded as outdated, only a few of them made it to the junk yard. Even people, who didn’t know much about cars, instantly recognized their special value.