Hi-
Has anyone here seen a 280 w114 with the grille guard shown in the photo? Any thoughts on whether it is original? I have had trouble finding any official on that.

Also, and I apologize for not being able to answer this question myself, but because it has the smaller bumpers, does this mean this car is definitely pre-facelift?

Thanks for your time.

Attached Thumbnails

 

__________________
1968 220D, w115, /8, OM615, Automatic transmission.
My 1987 300TD wagon was sold and my 2003 W210 E320 wagon was totaled (sheds tear).

This might be just me but I would never put something like that on my car
Looks so off and not needed

This looks rather aftermarket to me. High quality and all, but i doubt that this is a Mercedes part. If it were it would have a Mercedes part number on it somewhere.

During that era VW went on a program of selling the basic car cheap in order to get you to buy a ton of options. Mercedes adopted a similar program of options that could be added at the dealer level and not all of them came from Mercedes just like all of VW's options did not come from them.

Perhaps this is one of those short-lived add ons?

Those were called badge bars and were intended to place grille badges on. They were an accessory that could be found in J.C. Whitney catalogs, and were probably available to the dealerships as an add-on. I have seen them on vehicles as new as the W116 chassis.

I would really like to find one for the W111, but they seem simple enough to make. I am interested in learning more about these accessories, as well.

__________________
Stop paying for animal enslavement, cruelty, and slaughter. Save your health and the planet. Go vegan! I did 18 years ago. https://challenge22.com/

DON'T MESS WITH MY MERCEDES!


1967 W110 Universal Wagon, Euro, Turbo Diesel, Tail Fins, 4 Speed Manual Column Shift, A/C
1980 W116 300SD Turbo Diesel, DB479 Walnut Brown, Sunroof, Highly Optioned, 350,000+ Miles

I think there was a company called Empi in the lare '60s or early '70s that made some of the U-shaped ones. I think they were intended to provide some protection for the grill. Or VW beetles that were modded into dune-buggies by removing the bumpers. Don't know who would have them now.
I also have a spare front bumper off a '70 250C that has aftermarket tall chromed bumper-guards with the grill-protector bar attached in between like on that W116. No idea who made it other than it doesn't look like a factory Mercedes accessory.

Happy Motoring, Mark

__________________
DrDKW

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. It sure is an odd feature. And I use the word feature loosely.

__________________
1968 220D, w115, /8, OM615, Automatic transmission.
My 1987 300TD wagon was sold and my 2003 W210 E320 wagon was totaled (sheds tear).

This was popular in the 60's, early 70's.

Find a Vilem B Haan or MG Mitten catalog of the period and you'll see a section on grille guards.

AMCO ( not the trans place...) was a major supplier of these accessories.
So many E Type Jags had the AMCO double bar center sections installed, I used to think that was the stock appearance....

Like any aftermarket accessory, personal taste can be quite polarizing.

Jim

__________________
14 E250 BlueTEC black. 45k miles
95 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 66k miles
94 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 152k miles
85 300TD 4 spd man, euro bumpers and lights, 15" Pentas dark blue 274k miles

i have a strange grille guard that came with my W108 that i have only seen on one other car ever. its an elevated bar that sits in the bumper over riders, the only other car I have seen it on is a W109 that was decked out with every option available, including headlight wipers, you wanna talk about a rare option, headlight wipers looks so cool. I'm sure the bar i have would fit a w111, you would need the bumper with the proper holes as well.

Attached Thumbnails

 

__________________
____________________________
R107.043 Euro 350SL (parts)(crushed)
W116.024 280se (crushed)
W114 280 (m110)
W108.067 280se 4.5
W108.068 280seL 4.5 (crushed)
W111 220SEB coupe
W110 200D went to the crusher
W110 190D sold sold sold

1970 Rover P6B

Used to own(1950 buick,1969 lincoln MK3,4G63t colt,87 300ZX, 79 F100, 92 XJ40)

That is cool! I have the bumper overriders already on the W111 bumper. I bet that bar would fit, even if with a little modification.

__________________
Stop paying for animal enslavement, cruelty, and slaughter. Save your health and the planet. Go vegan! I did 18 years ago. https://challenge22.com/

DON'T MESS WITH MY MERCEDES!


1967 W110 Universal Wagon, Euro, Turbo Diesel, Tail Fins, 4 Speed Manual Column Shift, A/C
1980 W116 300SD Turbo Diesel, DB479 Walnut Brown, Sunroof, Highly Optioned, 350,000+ Miles

My spare bumper off a 250C parts-car has those tall over-riders with the grill-bar mounted in between. Unlike the stubby, rubber-tipped, chromed-steel factory over-riders on my 250 sedan, the tall ones have no rubber edge and appear to be some kind of chromed alloy casting.

Happy Motoring, Mark

__________________
DrDKW