I am looking at the MBUSA site to learn about S-class, specifically 1996 & 1997 S320 Long Wheelbase cars. Is there a designation (e.g. W210) for the long body or is it the same as the "short" one (and what is it)?

I like the M104 engine and I would like a little more interior volume (although it's really not much more according to the site) than the E320, which I love, so please let me know the juicy tidbits of info regarding this car.
TIA,
-Tom

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In the older chassis, the short chassis was called a SE and the long chassis was the SEL. When the 140's came out, there was a 300SE (140 chassis gas motor), and a 300SD (140 Diesel motor), but I don't believe there was a 300SEL or a 300SDL (not in the 140 chassis in the US). Later on you could get both a long and a short chassis 140 with the 104 motor, but they were both badged as S320. You can tell by the VIN number, the short chassis starts "WDBGA32" and the long chassis starts "WDBGA33". You can tell by looking as well.
The long and short chassis are both 140 chassis. The sub-type is different, the short chassis is a 140.032 and the long chassis is a 140.033.
The sales designation I've noticed is sometimes different. I see in sales ads and so forth that the long chassis seems to be referred to as a S320V, I am unsure why this is used, it's nothing we use in the shop.

Gilly

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The "V" designation is used by Mercedes-Benz in Germany and the rest of world to identify the long wheelbase models of their S-class vehicles. As an example:

W 140 = short wheelbase 140 model
V 140 = long wheelbase 140 model

In the U.S. M-B dealers refer to the long wheelbase models as W140V or in the case of a 3.2 liter 6-L car as an S320V (the shortwheel base is usually identified as a plain W140 or S320).

In 1994, when the SE/SEL identity was dropped, some used car lot dealers and owners like to refer to long wheelbase model as an S320L/S420L/S500L/S600L. The S280 was only available as a short wheelbase model.

If you are looking for that "extra" space, the long wheelbase model is definetely the way to go.

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