The basic design included a mildly wrapped
windshield, straight-through fenderlines, and shortish rear deck (bereft of the
sedans' initial tailfins). This design would endure through five
single-overhead-cam engines -- four sixes and a valedictory V-8 -- offering
progressively more horsepower. The typical period M-B chassis, with low-pivot
rear swing-axles, was also unchanged throughout the period, but the late 300s
and V-8 models had air suspension. All the engines used Bosch mechanical fuel
injection (hence "E," Ein-spritzung, injection) except for the the
V-8, which used Bosch's then-new D-Jetronic electronic system.
Interiors featured carefully applied quality
materials, including leather on some models, and sufficient, if not spacious,
accommodations for four. The Coupe was a true pillarless hardtop. The open-air Cabriolet,
on the other hand, had a fully lined folding top in the German cabriolet manner
-- and was thus rather bulky when lowered.
Oddly, the 1959- 1971 Coupe and Cabriolet had no
direct successors, though the junior "New Generation" coupes of
1968-76 carried on the tradition. The V-8 280SE 3.5 is the best collector
choice for performance, refinement and, possibly, future dollar return.
Pluses of the 1959-1971 Mercedes-Benz Coupe and
Cabriolet:
- Nice styling (still looks good)
- Mechanicals as for the more numerous counterpart sedans
- Mercedes-Benz construction, quality, snob appeal
- Key mechanical parts still available
- Good club support
Minuses of the 1959-1971 Mercedes-Benz Coupe
and Cabriolet:
- Some body parts now scarce
- Weighty, so mileage nothing special
- Swing-axle handling woes
- Sixes rather "clattery"
Production of the 1959-1971 Mercedes-Benz Coupe
and Cabriolet:
- 220SE: 16,902 (1959-65)
- 250SE: 6,213 (1965-68)
- 300SE: 3,127 (1962-67)
- 280SE: 5,187 (1967-71)
- 280SE 3.5: 4,502 (1969-71)
Specifications of the 1959-1971 Mercedes-Benz
Coupe and Cabriolet:
Wheelbase, inches: 108.0
Length, inches: 192.0
Weight, pounds: 3,330-3,650
Price, new: $8,900-$14,500 (U.S.)
Engines for the 1959-1971 Mercedes-Benz Coupe
and Cabriolet:
| Type | Size | Horsepower | Years |
| ohc I-6 | 2,195 cc (134 cid) | 120/134 | 1959-1965 |
| ohc I-6 | 2,496 cc (152 cid) | 150/170 | 1965-1968 |
| ohc I-6 | 2,996 cc (182 cid) | 160/185 | 1962-1965 |
| ohc I-6 | 2,996 cc (182 cid) | 170/195 | 1965-1967 |
| ohc I-6 | 2,778 cc (170 cid) | 160/180 | 1967-1971 |
| ohc V-8 | 3,499 cc (213 cid) | 200/230 | 1969-1971 |
Want more information about classic cars? See:
