Looked at a '73 280 today, which I thought would be the 108 style, but was not, has the single headlamps with signal lamps below, and foglights. The nameplate, if I remember correctly showed "250/8", and one of the other identifying numbers started with 114. The engine was a DOHC L6, overall condition of the car very good, as it was originally an AZ car.

Questions - is this car anything special? Is the 280 without the
SE/L then a 250? Is this engine especially powerfull, or the same as in the 280SE/L?

Thanks for any clarification.

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Francis E. Abate
Automotive Restoration & Preservation
Sheet metal, trim and upholstery

Major problems with the Solex 4A1 carb. Because of the emissions mods, the Federal engine is pretty anemic.

Not much interest in the 4-doors, somewhat more in the coupes.

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Chuck Taylor
Falls Church VA
'66 200, '66 230SL, '96 SL500. Sold: '81 380SL, '86 300E, '72 250C, '95 C220, 3 '84 280SL's '90 420SEL, '72 280SE, '73 280C, '78 280SE, '70 280SL, '77 450SL, '85 380SL, '87 560SL, '85 380SL, '72 350SL, '96 S500 Coupe

The 108-bodied cars always had a suffix; they were the 280S, 280SE, and 280SEL (earlier the 250S/SE). Similarly, the 109's were all suffixed SE or SEL. Models without the suffix were always the lower line, not the 108/109 body.

From Frank Barrett's Guide, I abstract the following:
The 114 showed up in the US as the 250 from 1968-72, with the SOHC engine, and the 280 from 1973-76 with the M110 DOHC. The /8 designation was used to refer to the 114/115 chassis, as in 230/8 or 250/8.

The 114 sedan designated 250 could have one of two engines, depending on year and (perhaps) market (Euro vs. US). Reflecting the muddled MB nomenclature at that time, neither are 2.5 liters! From Barrett's guide, I can get:
130.923 engine: SOHC six, 157 hp, 2.8 liter, 1970-76
114.920 engine: SOHC six, 146 hp, 2.8 liter, 1968-72
The same engines were found in the 250C, in the same years.

The 110 engine was in the 114 body as the 280 sedan and 280C, 1972-76 model years. The horsepower info in the 114's is inconclusive, but in the 116 body as the 280S, it had a Solex 4bbl carb 1972-76. With a thundering 120 hp, it got the 280S 0-60mph in only 17 seconds!

The car you're looking at would have been the most elaborate model of the 114 sedan in its year, with the 110 engine.

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Craig Bethune

'97 SL500, 40th anniversary edition

'04 Olds Bravada (SWMBO's)
'06 Lexus ES330
'89 560SL (sold)


SL--Anything else is just a Mercedes.
(Kudos to whoever said it first)

Got it, thanks for all the background.

regards!

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Francis E. Abate
Automotive Restoration & Preservation
Sheet metal, trim and upholstery

W109 were only LWB cars, also the difference between a W108 and W109 LWB car was that the 109 uses air suspension, the 108 steel springs.

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Regards,
Aaron