Description
This Mercedes 300 SE Cabriolet we have just finished after a 6½-year restoration. It was restored to the highest standards, made in Germany!!!! ** The Mercedes 300 SE Cabriolet** was introduced as the successor to the 300ad Adenauer range in February 1962 and was based on the 220 SE Cabriolet, which had already been introduced in 1961 and was built on the W111 platform, the so-called tailfin. Technically they are equivalent to the saloons and remained in the programme until December 1967, i. e. two years longer than their four‑door sister models (but four years shorter than the 111 coupés and cabriolets). Unlike the saloons, they do not have fashionable rear fins, a lower roofline, and therefore appear overall more elegant and timeless, which long ago earned them classic status. This timelessness also allowed them to be built essentially unchanged in parallel with the successors of the 112 saloons, the S‑classes of the W 108/ W 109 range. Nevertheless, only a total of 708 cabriolets (W 112. 023) were produced because the purchase price was exorbitantly high. Mercedes equipped the 300 SE Cabriolet with all technologies available at the time, including light-alloy engine with intake manifold injection, 4‑speed automatic transmission, air suspension with level control, disc brakes all round and a pneumatic brake booster, locking differential, power steering, brake retention at the rear axle and much more. Visually, a more luxurious interior trim was fitted, chrome trim at the wheel arches and a continuous chrome strip along the side flanks were installed. The W 112 is powered by the Mercedes‑Benz M189, a very elaborately crafted straight-six with three litres displacement. The engine weighs around 40 kg less than the predecessors made of grey cast iron, which were used in the 300 SL (“Gullwing” and Roadster) as well as in the 300 (W 189, “Adenauer saloon”). Due to this reduction in front axle load, improved handling (less understeer) was achieved. The car delivers a sporty, nimble driving character, in contrast to the head‑heavy later 3. 5s with the heavy grey cast iron V8 engines. Today the Mercedes 300 SE is the avant‑garde of the 111/ 112 Cabriolets, very rare and the crown jewel for connoisseurs of these timeless and elegant motor cars. * ** This Mercedes 300 SE Cabriolet** (W 112. 023) we have restored to the best possible standard over six years of work. The car was in an original accident‑free and largely rust‑free condition. We had it completely dismantled. The body was ** underside fully stripped, partly restored and checked for warp. The underside was newly coated to original specifications, paying attention to the original appearance in thickness and look. (The 300s had a substantially thicker coating from the factory than the 280 Cabrios. The paint was partly renewed, as much of it was already in very good condition. The entire technology was dismantled and painstakingly restored by AI Motors in Stutensee, one of the country’s best specialists. This includes the matching‑numbers engine, gearbox, driveshaft, front axle, rear axle, air suspension, dampers, exhaust, brakes, steering, cooling, electricals, window regulators, starter, alternator and all electrical aids. A Behr air conditioning system was retrofitted. Many improvements and detailing solutions were installed that **** are immediately evident, but make the car more reliable or comfortable. Notable among these is a longer 3. 46‑ratio rear axle with a limited-slip differential, which also allows for relaxed long‑distance motorway driving at higher speeds and is gentler on the materials. The interior trim was only partially renewed to preserve the authentic character. Original materials were used, the leather was custom‑made for the car at the leather factory, the new hood was hand‑filled with horsehair ( **** as is common today with a Kokosha mat ), wood and chrome were professionally restored, and only top specialists were trusted. It is the many small details we have observed from our 30 years of restoration experience on this vehicle that, in sum, make a huge difference. A 300 Cabriolet is particularly demanding to restore; few cars are truly complete and correctly done. We could fill a book with all the details, and we are happy to share them with you at a personal viewing. The 300er has been presented to the TÜV and holds an H‑certificate. We are happy to send you a list of the works; it’s more of a Bible. This...
