W111 S-Class Sedan

The W111 was produced in 1959-1968. This car was the successor of the W128 S-Class. This car was designated a new name, Fintail. The name Fintail was acquired due to the small fins Mercedes-Benz added to the tail of the vehicle. These little fins, some say, were designed to appeal to the American market. At that time, the American cars featured huge tailfins. The headlights were changed to form a one-piece headlight. A strip of chrome runs along the side of the car, giving the vehicle flow and elegance. Every little detail of the car was highlighted in chrome, the door handles, grille, bumpers, the edge of windows, mirrors, etc.
The interior was also changed. The dashboard was refined. A sweeping piece of wood tapered at the sides. A sound system and radio was offered. Beside the radio/audio was an analog clock, beautifully elegant. To the left was the driver's display. Very different from what we see today. On top of the dash, unlike it's predecessor, is leather. underneath, it's also leather. Then, a sweeping blade of wood trim, close to the windscreen finishes the elegance. The car is fully upholstered in either leather or velvet. In those days, velvet upholstery was extremely popular. It was regarded as "more prestigious" than leather.
The W111 featured a great technological advancement, crumple zones. This was the work of the brainchild, Bela Barenyi. The front of the car was designed to crumple and absorb the impact of a collision. This would prove to be a very useful safety feature in cars. Also new, were disc brakes. Vehicles before the W111 used drum brakes. These brakes only enabled a vehicle to drag slowly into a stop. With disc brakes, a much quicker stop can be obtained, therefore improving safety and usage of the vehicle. Another new feature was an air suspension. By using air, a very comfortable ride can be obtained.
Throughout the production of the W111, different names were given.
The First Series:
220B 2.2Litre Inline-6
220SB 2.2Litre Inline-6
220SEB 2.2Litre Inline-6
300SE 3Litre Inline-6
300SEL 3Litre Inline-6

Second Series:
230S 2.3Litre Inline-6
250SE 2.5Litre Inline-6
280SE 2.8Litre Inline-6
280SE 3.5 3.5Litre Inline-6
300SE 3Litre Inline-6

The W111 Sedan was a next step up for the S-Class. The 300SE with the W111 Chassis would form the next S-Class sedan, the W108.