MERCEDES-BENZ

W111

The Mercedes-Benz W111 is a full-size luxury car produced by Mercedes-Benz in Stuttgart, Germany from 1959 to 1971, encompassing two distinct product lines: the iconic four-door Heckflosse fintail saloons (1959-1968) and the exclusive two-door coupes and cabriolets (1961-1971). The Mercedes-Benz W111 saloon debuted in August 1959, replacing the Ponton series and introducing a boldly modern body with pointed tailfins and, crucially, the world's first production-car passive safety body incorporating a rigid central passenger cell with engineered front and rear crumple zones. The saloon range evolved from 220 SE and 220 Sb through 230 S, 250 SE and 280 SE variants, with 337,803 saloons built between 1959 and 1968. A far more exclusive dimension of the Mercedes-Benz W111 story opened in 1961 with the two-door coupe and cabriolet, whose lower roofline and extended proportions gave them genuine glamour. These two-door Mercedes-Benz W111 models evolved from the 220 SEb through 250 SE to 280 SE variants, reaching their apex with the 280 SE 3.5 introduced in 1969, which replaced the twin-cam inline-six with a new 3.5-litre V8 producing 200 hp. The Mercedes-Benz W111 280 SE 3.5 coupe and cabriolet, produced through 1971, are considered among the most desirable postwar Mercedes ever made. Total two-door W111 production reached just 32,804 units, of which only 7,456 were open-top cabriolets. The Mercedes-Benz W111 280 SE 3.5 cabriolet now averages over US$302,000 at auction, while the coupe averages around US$98,750, reflecting the enduring prestige of the W111 nameplate.