1972 Mercedes-Benz 250 – Project Profile
February 10, 2022
Looking for a project can be a perilous affair. You might see something and fall in love with it, handing over cash like a giddy fool in the process, only to get home and in the cold light of your garage realise you’re in over your head. We’ve done that a few times. The most notable being a Ford Capri we thought we could repair, only to realise – after the car had been delivered – that we had all the welding skill of an eight year-old stuck in a wheelie bin. But we digress. The point is, project cars can sometimes be a lot of trouble. Unless, of course, you buy one that is mostly complete. Something, say, like this 1972 Mercedes-Benz 250 ‘stack light’. It’s been painted, it’s apparently very solid and all it needs now is a bit of finishing off. This could be your dream classic.
Of course, a project isn’t always the way to go. With some half done project cars, you might have to unpick a million previous ‘repairs’ before you actually start doing the work you want to. Unfinished project cars can often be a magnet for terrible, low quality repairs. Someone else’s standard of ‘done’ could be very different to yours or ours. With this Mercedes-Benz 250, however, that worry has been taken away, as the car is currently up for auction via Car & Classic. That means one of our team have been out to the car, they have had a good poke about and they have taken hundreds of pictures for you to pore over. We’ve taken the guesswork out of it for you. So come on, what are you waiting for?
What is it?
Taking over from the W110 ‘fintail’ model of Mercedes-Benz, the W114 and W115 had big shoes to fill. The car you’re looking at here is a W114, as identified by the 250 badge, meaning this is a six-cylinder car. The four-cylinder cars were known internally as the W144 model. The six-banger cars were, of course, the ones to have. Plenty of power was available from the M series engine, and they were known for being as smooth as silk, too. Just as you would expect from a Mercedes-Benz of this era. The smoothness wasn’t just from the engine though. The W114/115 boasted all-new suspension – nothing was carried over from its predecessor. It brought with it a new age of engineering for Mercedes-Benz, and buyers were quick to get their hands on them. The W114/115 was a hit for the company, and rightly so. Today, its Bracq design stands as one of those timeless examples, one that still cuts a dash today. It is arguably one of the best classic options out there. Especially if you need more than two seats. Heck, you could use a W114/115 as your family car if you wanted. It’s that solid.
Why is it a project?
Rather than being a ‘ground up’ restoration like some of the others we have featured here, this is more a stalled project. A great deal of work has been done, but the seller has been unable to see it through. And we really do mean it when we say a great deal of work. The body appears to be have been sorted, and has even been resprayed. It needs a clean and polish having been sat, but there appears to be no rust, rot of other bodily imperfections to deal with. The interior is present bar the carpets, which would need to be sourced. And from what we can see, it needs a good clean above all else. Nothing seems to be missing (other than the radio) or broken. As for the mechanical side of things, the seller tells us the car did run but hasn’t been started for a while. A new battery, a full service and some fresh fuel would be the first port of call. The brakes will possibly need some attention too, but that’s fine, parts are easy to find. This 250 could, potentially, be out at the shows this summer of you’re a time served tinkerer.
What should you look for?
We’ve done the legwork for you here, what with having sent one of our team around to take the pictures, have a poke about and write the aforementioned auction listing. However, if you do want to view the car, or if you want to know what to look for, let us give you some pointers. The first would be to double check for any corrosion. This era of Mercedes-Benz 250 was prone to rust, so it never hurts to make sure. It has cropped up in the past looking at the cars MOT history, but then goes away, so this combined with what we saw when photographing it would suggest it’s been sorted. Check the trim and the unfitted parts, to make sure everything you need is there. If not, parts are out there, but you might have to do some digging. Finally, indulge yourself with a read of the paperwork, which shows just how well this car has been looked after. Plus, there are even photos of the car back when it was on the road, serving to motivate you in your restoration and rebuild, no doubt.
What should you do with it?
We’d keep it simple and just finish it off. As the old saying goes, this 250 has good bones. Complete the interior off with some fresh carpet, clean up the seats and the door cards, maybe fit a modern set of (hidden) speakers and a retro-look Bluetooth head unit for up-to-date streaming. Yes indeedy, this would be a very nice place to be. Externally, a good wash and machine polish should have that new paint gleaming, while an hour with some metal polish will get the chrome looking great again. As for the mechanicals, a good service, new battery and getting it checked over by a Mercedes specialist for peace of mind would be a good start. The brakes will probably need a tickle, and the tyres should probably be replaced, as the rubber looks old in some of the pictures. It needs lots of little things doing, but do them and you will have a car that oozes cool. One that will be a joy to own and drive. Go on, chuck in a bid, you won’t regret it.
