Correct me if I am wrong (wouldn't be the first time ) but there are two W111's. Why did Mercedes do this? Why call the early sixties stacked headlight finner sedan a 111 and then call the '65-'71 coupe a 111? Did they think that would run out of #'s in the future? Just curious if there was an actual reason behind it...
-Matt-

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Currently:
1972 350SL Euro 4spd
1973 BMW R75/5
1981 BMW R80GS
1995 FZJ80 with OM606 Conversion In Progress

Simply because one was the sedan version whereas the other was the coupe (or cabriolet version). Just like there were sedan and coupe versions of the W114, W123, W124, W126, etc. The reason the coupe version of the W111 ran longer than the sedan is they continued with it after the W108 replaced the W111 sedan. The W111 coupe was also considered the coupe version of the W108 since it was available with the engines that were fitted to the W108. The W111 (& W112) and W108 (& W109) had a lot in common.

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107.023: 350SLC, 3-speed auto, icon gold, parchment MBtex (sold 2012 after 29 years ownership).
107.026: 500SLC, 4-speed auto, thistle green, green velour.
124.090: 300TE, 4-speed auto, arctic white, cream-beige MBtex.
201.028: 190E 2.3 Sportline, 5-speed manual, arctic white, blue leather.
201.028: 190E 2.3, 4-speed auto, blue-black, grey MBtex.
201.034: 190E 2.3-16, 5-speed manual, blue-black, black leather.

Further to the above, I should also mention that the W111 coupe goes back further than you suggest. It ran from the early '60s to the early '70s virtually spanning the life of the W111 and W108 sedans.

The stacked headlights you mention were originally only for the North American market. Elsewhere the vertical one piece lights were used. It was only the 3.5 liter sedans (W108/109) and coupes (W111) and 6.3 litre sedans (W109) that got the stacked headlights in markets other than North America.

__________________
107.023: 350SLC, 3-speed auto, icon gold, parchment MBtex (sold 2012 after 29 years ownership).
107.026: 500SLC, 4-speed auto, thistle green, green velour.
124.090: 300TE, 4-speed auto, arctic white, cream-beige MBtex.
201.028: 190E 2.3 Sportline, 5-speed manual, arctic white, blue leather.
201.028: 190E 2.3, 4-speed auto, blue-black, grey MBtex.
201.034: 190E 2.3-16, 5-speed manual, blue-black, black leather.

Same is true with the 114 coupe and the 123 coupe. They aways share chassis number with the sedan. Single headlight sedans were 110's, not 111's. Then they also built a Haeckflosse/ Finbody 112 coupe and sedan, distinguished by air suspension.... Check the Vintage Links Thread, there's a Netherlands Haeckflosse website that is world famous and covers everything.

Most of the world certainly did get 111s with single piece headlights, those that North American owners refer to as "euro" lights (large one piece vertical lens with one reflector for both high and low beam, a smaller reflector in the bottom for the fog light, and turn signal at the top). The only 111 sedans with stacked headlights (separate high and low beam lenses) were those delivered to North America. The 110 sedans got the single round headlights that I believe you are referring to.

__________________
107.023: 350SLC, 3-speed auto, icon gold, parchment MBtex (sold 2012 after 29 years ownership).
107.026: 500SLC, 4-speed auto, thistle green, green velour.
124.090: 300TE, 4-speed auto, arctic white, cream-beige MBtex.
201.028: 190E 2.3 Sportline, 5-speed manual, arctic white, blue leather.
201.028: 190E 2.3, 4-speed auto, blue-black, grey MBtex.
201.034: 190E 2.3-16, 5-speed manual, blue-black, black leather.

Greg, I guess by single headlight 111 you are referring to the single lens unit with no chrome door that separates stacked headlights and corner clearance lights. Both versions share the same fender and headlight bucket. They made the same headlight distinction with 108's, 116's and 123's. Dunno about the 114/115 but probably them too.

Surfing the photo archives at http://www.heckflosse.nl/photo.htm I can see alot of double chrome headlight door versions at countries like Spain, Finland and elsewhere.

We can also distinguish production years by inclusion of bullet signal lights instead of corner signal lights. And then whether the bullets are white or amber. I think bullets fist appeared at/near 1963...... or 1962 as USA imports were often built the previous year. And then these bullets went amber in 1964.

For my money, the double chrome headlight door versions look better - complimenting the chrome grill surround.

But for sure, the curse of USA market adaptions occurred in the 1970's when MB got drunk on automatic transmissions. Rarely is the finest also the most popular product. Finally the 240D was the only MB available in the USA with 4-spd standard shift. This drought on stick shift Mercedes became an embarassment for those of us who will drive no other car and do NOT want an automatic transmission.

Btw, I've heard that Australians are starving for electric windows on their coupes. I guess the USA got all the electric window units, but y'all down under walked away with 4-spd (and 5-spd?) standard shifts whereas we got stuck with automatic trannies.

And have you ever heard of the Africa Version 110 or 111?? Apparently it's got an oil cooler, dual radiator auxiliary cooling fans and an extra large fuel tank.

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'80 300SD/ w116
'79 240D 4-spd
'71 750cc Guzzi

previously owned:

'83 240D 4-spd
'77 280SEL 4-spd
'74 280/8
'72 250/8
'65 220Sb 4-spd
'63 220Sb 4-spd
'63 190c 4-spd
'61 220Sb 4-spd
'60 190b 4-spd

Of course, this was the obvious reason. Not sure why I didn't see it.... LOL.
-M-

__________________
Currently:
1972 350SL Euro 4spd
1973 BMW R75/5
1981 BMW R80GS
1995 FZJ80 with OM606 Conversion In Progress

Those "bullet" lights you refer to were unique to North America. All our 111, 112, 108 and 109 models with single piece "euro" lights had the turn signals within the headlight unit (at the top) and our V8 108 and 109 models (which were the only ones here with stacked headlights) used the small triangular lamps (which were amber) between the high and low beams as turn signals. Parking (or clearance) lights were an additional low wttage bulb withing the high beam reflector (remember that our stacked headlights had replaceable halogen bulbs rather than sealed beams).

Most in Australia were also automatics. Some early 110s and 111s were manual and there are just a few manual 108s around. I once drove a 108 280SE 3.5 with 4-speed manual floor shift here many years ago and at our recent concours we had a very rare manual 111 280SE 3.5 coupe displayed (probably a UK grey import).

Regarding oil coolers, I cannot remember whether or not Oz delivered 110s and 111s (sedans) had them, but I do know that they were standard fitment here certainly on V8 108, 109, 111 (coupes) and of course later cars such as the 107, 116, etc. Generally Oz deliveries were set up for a hot climate and many models here also had larger radiators.

__________________
107.023: 350SLC, 3-speed auto, icon gold, parchment MBtex (sold 2012 after 29 years ownership).
107.026: 500SLC, 4-speed auto, thistle green, green velour.
124.090: 300TE, 4-speed auto, arctic white, cream-beige MBtex.
201.028: 190E 2.3 Sportline, 5-speed manual, arctic white, blue leather.
201.028: 190E 2.3, 4-speed auto, blue-black, grey MBtex.
201.034: 190E 2.3-16, 5-speed manual, blue-black, black leather.