Mb Sel 6.3

Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3: Ride of the Valkyries « Auto Universum ...

The legendary and storied Mercedes 300 SEL 6.3 was a seminal automotive creation of the 1960’s; a comfortable, quiet, soft-riding, full-featured and meticulously crafted sedan that went like a Ferrari. Nothing quite like it had ever come along before.

The W108/109 S-Klasse Mercedes that served as the basis for the 6.3 was actually the first iteration of the S-Klasse as we know it today. Prior to its debut, The S models of the Ponton and Fintail era were simply mid-range models with longer front-ends, larger engines and superior trim.

period appear for the first time in the form of the discrete rubber strips adorning the bumpers and beltline moldings. The S-Klasse styling bore elements from both the 230 SL and 600, each introduced two years earlier, with simple, taught lines and generous glass area. The roof was nearly flat, hinting toward the concavity of the SL’s removable “Pagoda” hardtop.

Its most stylish aspect was the frontal view. Here the classic M-B multi-function bubble headlamp lenses were given considerable forward rake like the prow of a ship, acting as a keen counterpoint to the rearward tilt of the radiator grille. Together, these two elegantly simple elements combined to bestow a proud countenance appropriate to a high-ranking Mercedes-Benz sedan.

The range-topping 300 SEL was a fully contemporary, roomy and luxurious conveyance with four-wheel disc brakes and fully independent self-leveling air suspension. Its only shortcoming was that the power developed by the 3.0-litre engine was not up to the task of fully exploiting the sophisticated chassis.

A mid-size V8 was in development to address this issue, but it was still a few years away from production. In the interim, Erich “Wax’l” Waxenberger of the Test and Development department at Mercedes-Benz test-fitted a big 6.3-litre V8 from the flagship 600 into a 300 SEL. Famed development chief (and former competitions department head) Rudolph Uhlenhaut championed the idea of developing the concept for production and management granted approval of the new creation.

The 300 SEL 6.3, debuted at the Salon de Genève in March of 1968. Changes to the standard 300 SEL were minimal. Wheels of a half-inch greater width (6.5-14) were fitted with larger 195/70-14 V-rated tires, ventilated brake rotors were added front and rear and the fuel tank was enlarged. Finally, a tachometer was fitted to the center of the instrument cluster, displacing the clock. To replace the evicted timepiece, engineers dipped into the parts bin to borrow the rectangular unit from the W111 Coupé, which fitted nicely into the instrument panel to the left of the steering column.

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