What the heck is a 280SE 4.5? I thought that the first number (280 in this case) always stood for the number of liters. In that case what does the 4.5 stand for? Anyone care to explain?

I know this isn't a diesel question, but you guys are smart.

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'78 240D

Mercedes hired a Marketing major in late 60's. Their first faux pas was the 300SEL with the M100 6.3 liter engine. This confusion stuck and we then got the 300SEL 3.5, 4.5, 280SEL 4.5, 190D 2.6, und so wieder.....

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Over 21 years I owned several:
w108
w110
w111
w115
w116
w123
w124
w126
w212

Good question. I've always wondered the same thing about that one and some of the later models as well.

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

So, are the 300SEL 3.5 and 280SEL 4.5 both the same body: a W126?

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

No, this nonsence started with the 108's. The first R107 SL was a 350SL but it had the 4.5 M117 motor....
Then the w116 had the 450SE 6.9
Back to normal with the w123 and w126's...
Funky again with the w201's and w124's.....

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Over 21 years I owned several:
w108
w110
w111
w115
w116
w123
w124
w126
w212

I'm sooooo confused.

That marketer was probably of French or Italian extract; considering how everything else on these cars interchanges and otherwise makes so much sense, that funky numbering scheme is decidedly un-German.

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

And a 190e never had a 1.9 liter engine

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5 speed '91 190E 2.6 320,000 mi. (new car, fast, smooth as silk six, couldn't find any more Peugeots)
5 speed '85 Peugeot 505 2.5l Turbo Diesel 266,000 mi. (old car, fast for a diesel, had 2 others)
5 speed '01 Jetta V6 (new wifes car, pretty quick)
5 speed '85 Peugeot 505 2.2l Turbo Gas 197,000 mi. (wifes car, faster, sadly gone just short of 200k )
5 speed '83 Yamaha 750 Maxim 14,000 mi. (fastest)
0 speed 4' x 8' 1800 lb Harbor Freight utility trailer (only as fast as what's pulling it)

Randy,

300SE/SELL with the 3.0, 3.5, 4.5 or 6.3 is a W109
280SE/SEL with the 2.8, 3.5 or 4.5 is a W108

W109 compared to W108 - same body, different suspension (air v. springs)

The 300 or 280 tag on the left rear normally equates to the standard sized engine, when a large displacement was opted the proper size was noted on the right rear, as in my 280SEL 4.5. Actually I think it was just another sly method of sneaking a little more chrome onto the car. Plus, in my eye, it balnaces the trunk lid...much like the early models with a slushbox, they were tagged "Automatic" or the redundancy of labeling a 300D with the Diesel tag at the right rear.

I'll try to explain further next time I'm in Austin.

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Mike Tangas
'73 280SEL 4.5 (9/72)- RIP
Only 8,173 units built from 5/71 thru 11/72

'02 CLK320 Cabriolet - wifey's mid-life crisis

2012 VW Jetta Sportwagon TDI...at least its a diesel

Non illegitemae carborundum.

Thanx Mike. I've always wondered about that 108/109 thing too. You cleared it up.

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

Mikes explanation is correct.

In the case of the 190, it certainly did come with a 1.9 engine, but not in the US.

Have a great day,

The original W201 190e's had a 1.9 litre engine when they came out in Europe, but by that time we never saw them here in the US.

I'm going out on a limb here as I don't know for sure, but I think the "system" works this way:

MB has always given a chassis number to designs. In this case it's W108 for steel spring suspension and W109 for air suspension. There are a number of variants, and the badging is usually the original design engine displacement (that is, 240 for a 2.4L engine, etc). If another engine is installed while the original size is still sold, the car will be badges 280 (or whatever) with the engine size in liters as a secondary badge, just like the "turbodiesel" is added to the 300D line). There are some divergences -- for instance the W109 300 SE/SEL never, to the best of my knowledge, had a 3.0L engine ( I may be wrong on that, though). At least later models had the 2.8L six with no badge.

The official badge for the V8 cars was 280 SE/SEL 4.5 for the W108 and 300 SE/SEL 4.5 with the M117 engine, 3.5 for the M116 (rare in the US). The W109 SEL 6.3 was the only M100 equiped W108/109, it was not available in the steel suspension model.

As far as I know, the number only got changed if there was a significant body design change (for instance, the V8 equiped W124 chassis E series).

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

That's right the later 300's had the 2.8 M130 engine. The early ones (66-68) had the M189 3.0 ......

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Over 21 years I owned several:
w108
w110
w111
w115
w116
w123
w124
w126
w212

I owned a 72 280 SE 3.5.......nice v8 gasser.

Sure do miss that car...

W108 body.....in fact.....10805712012201....I still remember that number !

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1998 W202 C230 - The money pit of late.
1984 W126 300SD (356,800 miles) Gone to the wrenchapart
1984 W123 300D Gone to the wrenchapart
1972 W108 280SE 3.5 (sold but not forgotten)
1986 Buick Grand National 3.8l Turbo (86k miles)
1966 Glassic Model 'A' Replica http://www.glassicannex.org

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