Mercedes-Benz W111

The Mercedes-Benz W111 was a chassis code given to a range of Mercedes' vehicles produced between 1959 and 1971, including 4-door sedans (1959-1968) and 2-door coupes and cabriolets (1961 to 1971).

Introduced as inline 6-cylinder cars with 2.2-litre engines, the W111 spawned two lines of variants: entry-level vehicles sharing its chassis and bodies but 4-cylinder engines were designated the W110. A luxury version built on the W111 chassis with its body and the fuel-injected 3-litre M189 6-cylinder engine was designated the W112.

Design History

Mercedes-Benz emerged from World War II as an automaker in the early 1950s with the expensive 300 Adenauers and the exclusive 300SL grand tourers that gained it fame, but it was the simple unibody Pontons comprised the bulk of the company's revenues.

Work on replacing these cars began in 1956 with a design focused on passenger comfort and safety. The basic Ponton cabin was widened and squared off, with a large glass greenhouse improving driver visibility. A milestone in car design were front and rear crumple zones for absorbing kinetic energy on impact. The automaker also patented retractable seatbelts.

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz (German pronunciation: [mɛɐ̯ˈtseːdəs ˈbɛnts]) is a German automobile manufacturer, a multinational division of the German manufacturer Daimler AG. The brand is known for luxury automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. The headquarters of Mercedes-Benz is in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

The name first appeared in 1926 under Daimler-Benz, but traces its origins to Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft's 1901 Mercedes and to Karl Benz's 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen, which is widely regarded as the first gasoline powered automobile. Mercedes-Benz's slogan is "The Best or Nothing". Mercedes-Benz is one of the most recognized automotive brands worldwide.

History

Mercedes-Benz 500

Mercedes-Benz has sold a number of automobiles with the "500" model name, and the nomenclature usually refers the 5.0L V8 engine under the hood.

Most of the "500" badged cars featuring this type of engine are the various incarnations of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class flagship luxury sedan, making it synonymous with the "500" vernacular. However the engine and model number can also be found on other nameplates such as the E-Class midsize sedan, CL-Class coupé, and SL-Class roadster.

Examples

Mercedes-Benz 420

Mercedes-Benz has sold a number of automobiles with the "420" model name: