1956 Mercedes-Benz 300

STOCK # 2628

THIS 1956 MERCEDES-BENZ 300 IS LOCATED IN: INDIANAPOLIS, IN

The Mercedes-Benz W186 model 300 was a four-door luxury tourer produced by Mercedes-Benz between 1951 and 1957. The company's largest and most prestigious automobile, it was the S 600 of its day, elegant, powerful, exclusive, and expensive. Three versions were produced in succession, known informally as the 300a (or simply 300), 300b, and 300c. An enlarged "300d" variant built on the W189 chassis succeeded it in late 1957.

Also referred to as a "Type 300", the W186 was equal in features and price but superior in performance to the rival Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud. Favored by statesmen and business leaders, it offered options such as a glass partition, VHF mobile telephone, and dictation machine.

All but hand-built as the company flagship, the W186 is often identified as an Adenauer after Konrad Adenauer, the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, who employed six custom cabriolet, hardtop saloon, and landaulet versions of the W186 and its successor W189 during his 1949-1963 tenure. Among the custom features in these "parade cars" were writing desks, sirens, curtains, dividing partitions, sunroofs, and half-roof "landaulet" configurations.

Technologically advanced, the 300 was regarded as a "driver's" car, sharing numerous design innovations and mechanical components with the iconic Mercedes-Benz 300 SL "Gullwing", including engine, suspension, and chassis.

The four door 300 (W186) was introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show in April 1951 and entered series production in November 1951. It had no "a" designation, which was informally added, along with the "b" and "c", by later enthusiasts seeking to distinguish the three W186 generations.

Available as both a saloon and cabriolet, it featured graceful modernist bodywork atop Mercedes' proven X-frame chassis. An all new 3.0 L (2996 cc/182 in³) overhead cam, aluminum head M186 straight-6 was coupled to a 4-speed all-synchromesh manual gearbox. Twin downdraft Solex carburetors and an innovative diagonal head-to-block joint that allowed for oversized intake and exhaust valves produced 115 PS (85 kW; 113 hp) at a 6.4:1 compression ratio.

Designed to give reliable service under prolonged hard use, the engine featured deep water jackets, thermostatically controlled oil cooling, copper-lead bearings and a hardened crankshaft. With no natural cruising speed, the car could sustain anything up to its maximum speed all day, road conditions permitting.

• CLEAN TITLE
• ODOMETER SHOWS 59,409 KM (36,915 MILES)
• 3.0-LITER M186 INLINE-SIX FEATURES TWIN CARBURETORS
• COLUMN-SHIFTED FOUR-SPEED MANUAL
• THE TYPE 300 WAS BUILT BETWEEN 1951 AND 1957, AND THE 300C BOWED IN 1955 WITH AN UPSIZED REAR WINDOW
• STEEL WHEELS WEAR FULL COVERS WITH BLACK-PAINTED CENTERS AND PORT-O-WALL TIRES
• GARAGE KEPT
• NOT RUNNING DUE TO SITTING FOR A FEW YEARS