Mercedes-Benz W188

Mercedes-Benz 300 S/300 Sc
1953 Mercedes-Benz 300 S roadster
Overview
Manufacturer	Mercedes-Benz
Production	1952−1958 300S: 1952-1955 300 Sc: 1955-1958 W188 Coupé: 314 W188 Cabriolet/Roadster.: 446 [1]
Body and chassis
Class	Two-door luxury car
Body style	2 door coupé 2-door cabriolet 2-door roadster
Layout	FR layout
Platform	Mercedes-Benz W188
Related	Mercedes-Benz 300 Mercedes-Benz 300d Mercedes-Benz 300SL
Powertrain
Engine	2996 cc M188 I6 (300 S) 2996 cc M199 fuel-injected I6 (300 S)
Transmission	4-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase	W188: 2,900 mm (110 in)
Length	W188: 4,700 mm (190 in)
Width	W188: 1,916 mm (75.4 in)
Height	W188: 1,510 mm (59 in)
Curb weight	W188: 1,670 kg (3,680 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor	Mercedes-Benz 770
Successor	Mercedes-Benz W112

The Mercedes-Benz W188 was a two-door luxury sports tourer produced by Mercedes-Benz between 1951 and 1958. The company's most expensive and exclusive automobile, the elegant, hand-built two-door 300 S (1952-1955) and its successor 300 Sc (1955-1958) were the pinnacle of the Mercedes line of their era.

The pair's conservative styling belied their technological advances, ^[2] sharing numerous design innovations and mechanical components with the iconic Mercedes-Benz 300 SL "Gullwing", including engine, suspension, and chassis.

In addition, it shared other refinements with Mercedes' flagship four-door (W186) 300 "Adenauer" sedan, including a pedal-operated chassis central lubrication system, and a dashboard operated electrical torsion-bar activated rear load-leveling suspension leveling system. ^[3]

The W188 was available as a hard-topped coupe, a cabriolet, and a roadster (fitted with a lighter, fully retractable soft top without the cabriolet’s heft and large landau bars).

A total of 760 W188s were produced between 1952 and 1958, 560 300S and 200 300 Sc.

300 S

The 300 S (W188) was introduced at the Paris Salon in October 1951. It was available as a 2-seat roadster, 2+2 coupé, and cabriolet (officially the Cabriolet A). Although mechanically similar to the much larger contemporary four-door (W186) 300 "Adenauer" sedan, the additional craftsmanship, visual elegance, and 50% higher price tag elevated the W188 series to the apex of its era's luxury cars. ^[4]

The 300 S was fitted with a high-performance M188 version of the W186's 3.0 L (2996 cc/182 in³) overhead cam, aluminum head M186 straight-6, the M188. Designed to give reliable service under prolonged hard use, the engine featured deep water jackets, an innovative diagonal head-to-block joint that allowed for oversized intake and exhaust valves, thermostatically controlled oil cooling, copper-lead bearings, and a hardened crankshaft. Triple Solex carburettors and 7.8:1 compression and raised maximum output to 150 PS (110 kW; 150 hp) at 5000 rpm.

From July 1952 to August 1955, a total of 560 300 S automobiles were built - 216 Coupés, 203 Cabriolet As, and 141 Roadsters were produced. ^{[1] [5]}

300 Sc

1957 Mercedes-Benz 300Sc coupe

The 300 Sc (W188) appeared in 1955, featuring upgrades to both its engine and suspension derived from the high-performance 300SL Gullwing introduced a year earlier and the (W186) 300c, its most advanced version. These included the Sc's new M199 inline-six receiving a significantly detuned version of the 300 SL's M198 mechanical direct fuel-injection system, and a rear suspension improvement from the 300c. ^[6]

With an increased 8.55:1 compression ratio, the M199 produced 175 hp (130 kW) at 5400 rpm, and 188 lb⋅ft (255 N⋅m) at 4300 rpm. ^[7]

Prices rose to DM 36,500, and a total of 200 300 Sc's were built - 98 Coupés, 49 Cabriolet As, and 53 Roadsters through April 1958. ^[1]

References

Notes

1. Deutsche Autos, Band 4, 2001.
2. "Mercedes Benz 300 | Buy & Sell | Beverly Hills Car Club". 2017-09-01. Retrieved 2020-01-12.
3. 1952 Mercedes-Benz 300 S Roadster, Bring a Trailer
4. “Mercedes-Benz 300 S: Dreamlike synthesis between luxury and sport”, mercedes-benz.com
5. "Luxury Car Transportation".
6. 300 S and 300 Sc Convertibles and Roadsters (W 188), 1952 - 1958, Mercedes Archive
7. 300 Sc Roadster Mercedes-Benz Archive

Additional sources

• Hartmann, Matthias (2017). Das große Mercedes-Cabrio-Buch[The Big Mercedes Cabrio Book] (in German) (reprint of the original 1992 ed.). Königswinter, Germany: Heel Verlag. ISBN   9783958435810.
• Oswald, Werner [in German] (2001). Deutsche Autos[German Cars] (in German). Vol. Band [Volume] 4: 1945–1990 Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche und andere [and others]. Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN   3613021315.
• Staud, René (photographs); Lewandowski, Jürgen (text) (2016). Mercedes-Benz: The Grand Cabrios & Coupes. Kempen, Germany: teNeues. ISBN   9783832732936.

External links

• "300 S (W188)". Phil Seed's Virtual Car Museum. Retrieved December 1, 2005.
• "300 (W186, W189)". Phil Seed's Virtual Car Museum. Retrieved December 1, 2005.
• "Mercedes-Benz Type 300 Adenauer". MBZPonton.Org. Retrieved December 1, 2005.