The Mercedes-Benz W114, produced for the 1968 through 1976 model years, was the ancestor of the present-day E-Class and sold very well in North America. Because they were among the best-built cars of their time and held their resale value for decades, many examples are only now wearing out and showing up in the big self-service junkyards I frequent. Here's a heartbreakingly unrusted '71 hardtop coupe in a Northern California yard.
I'm not saying it was perfect when it took that final tow-truck ride, mind you— in addition to the battered interior, there's a dead rat on the floor in front of the passenger seat. Fortunately for me, I photographed this car on a cool winter day.
The '71 250C came with a 2,778cc straight-six SOHC engine rated at 157 horsepower, which was great power for that displacement in that era.
Like nearly all gasoline-engined W114s sold in the United States, this one has the four-speed automatic transmission. A four-speed manual was available, but I've only seen it in diesel cars.
The W114 wasn't particularly large (curb weight on this car was a mere 2,993 pounds, about the same as that of the 2019 Honda Civic) and the interior was fanatically well-made but not quite what Americans of 1971 considered plush. The price tag of $7,373 (about $46,500 in 2019 bucks) seemed like a lot of dollars for not much car, to those American car shoppers who wanted massive bulk and V8 torque for their money.
In fact, a brand-new Cadillac Coupe DeVille listed at $6,264 in 1971. That car weighed an oligarchical 4,685 pounds and boasted a 472-cubic-inch (7.7 liter) V8 grunting out 375 horsepower, not to mention a mobster-grade interior with room for four crooked attorneys plus a bent accountant or two.
Meanwhile, the '71 Lincoln Continental coupe had an MSRP of $7,172 ($8,241 for the far sportier Mark III), weighed a battleship-grade 5,032 pounds, and got its power from a 365-horse V8 with 460 cubes of displacement. Chrysler offered a $6,044 Imperial coupe with 335 horses moving 4,705 pounds. Hell, even the cheapest possible full-sized '71 Chevy coupe (the straight-six-powered '71 Impala hardtop, priced at $3,408) weighed 3,742 pounds and came close to the Benz's power with its 145hp engine.
Of course, hindsight tells us that the W114s ended up holding together for a good 40 years longer than most of those Detroit luxury monsters. If you ever wanted one of these cars as a cool-looking daily driver, they're out there and parts aren't hard to find.
Here are some short home-market W114 promotional films for your enjoyment.
I'm not saying it was perfect when it took that final tow-truck ride, mind you— in addition to the battered interior, there's a dead rat on the floor in front of the passenger seat. Fortunately for me, I photographed this car on a cool winter day.
The '71 250C came with a 2,778cc straight-six SOHC engine rated at 157 horsepower, which was great power for that displacement in that era.
Like nearly all gasoline-engined W114s sold in the United States, this one has the four-speed automatic transmission. A four-speed manual was available, but I've only seen it in diesel cars.
The W114 wasn't particularly large (curb weight on this car was a mere 2,993 pounds, about the same as that of the 2019 Honda Civic) and the interior was fanatically well-made but not quite what Americans of 1971 considered plush. The price tag of $7,373 (about $46,500 in 2019 bucks) seemed like a lot of dollars for not much car, to those American car shoppers who wanted massive bulk and V8 torque for their money.
In fact, a brand-new Cadillac Coupe DeVille listed at $6,264 in 1971. That car weighed an oligarchical 4,685 pounds and boasted a 472-cubic-inch (7.7 liter) V8 grunting out 375 horsepower, not to mention a mobster-grade interior with room for four crooked attorneys plus a bent accountant or two.
Meanwhile, the '71 Lincoln Continental coupe had an MSRP of $7,172 ($8,241 for the far sportier Mark III), weighed a battleship-grade 5,032 pounds, and got its power from a 365-horse V8 with 460 cubes of displacement. Chrysler offered a $6,044 Imperial coupe with 335 horses moving 4,705 pounds. Hell, even the cheapest possible full-sized '71 Chevy coupe (the straight-six-powered '71 Impala hardtop, priced at $3,408) weighed 3,742 pounds and came close to the Benz's power with its 145hp engine.
Of course, hindsight tells us that the W114s ended up holding together for a good 40 years longer than most of those Detroit luxury monsters. If you ever wanted one of these cars as a cool-looking daily driver, they're out there and parts aren't hard to find.
Here are some short home-market W114 promotional films for your enjoyment.
Featured Gallery Junked 1971 Mercedes-Benz 250C W114
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