Mercedes-Benz cars, especially the older set of sedans, are known more for their ability to cruise effortlessly along the motorway. Thanks to their smooth suspension setups and strong yet quiet engines, these “Chedengs” as they are fondly called over here in our neck of the woods, make a good companion on a long drive.
Yet there are some Mercs that have an ace up their sleeve. Case in point is the 1968 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3. Taking its cue from the W108/109 body style, this four-door is actually a sleeper. We say this because it looks much like any standard W109—the kind that are used for weddings and put on display by car collectors at motor shows.
In fact, the only way keen observers will be able to tell the 6.3 apart from a “regular” SE is by spotting those twin halogen headlights, front foglights, and the 6.3 lettering on the right side of the trunk lid. The same goes for the interior, with a speedometer that has a wider scale (obviously letting one know that this one has a higher terminal velocity), as well as a revised clock.
Of course, the biggest difference lies under the hood. A 6.3-liter V8 allows this four-door to smoothly run from rest to the century mark in 6.5 ticks and on to a top speed of 220kph. While these may seem par for the course today, such numbers used to belong to sports cars like the iconic Porsche 911s that got a shock as the Merc ran with them on the autobahn.
Besides the straight-line grunt, the air suspension made crusing and handling a breeze. Sure, it didn’t exactly go around corners like a low-slung sports car. Yet this one carved mountain roads with grace and pose. And power to boot.
As it celebrates its 50th birthday, this ride still has quite a following. Collectors still have a liking towards this Merc, which can fetch quite a premium. And with performance like this, even the younger set would go for something like this. Yes, this sleeper is not your Lolo’s Chedeng.
