Mercedes-Benz W189

This article is about the Mercedes 300d luxury car. For other Mercedes vehicles with the "300D" model number, see Mercedes-Benz 300 (disambiguation).
Mercedes-Benz W189
Overview
ManufacturerMercedes-Benz
Also calledMercedes-Benz 300d
Adenauer
Production1957–1962
W189 Saloon: 3,077[1]
W189 Cabriolet D: 65[1]
Body and chassis
ClassFull-size luxury car
Body style4-door saloon
4-door phaeton
4-door cabriolet
4-door limousine
LayoutFR layout
PlatformMercedes-Benz W189
RelatedMercedes-Benz 300 Sc, Mercedes-Benz 300 SL
Powertrain
Engine2996 cc M189 I6
Transmission4-speed manual
3-speed automatic
Dimensions
WheelbaseW189: 3,150 mm (124.0 in)
LengthW189: 5,190 mm (204.3 in)
WidthW189: 1,860 mm (73.2 in)
HeightW189: 1,620 mm (63.8 in)
Curb weightW189: 1,950 kg (4,299 lb)
Chronology
PredecessorMercedes-Benz W186
SuccessorMercedes-Benz W112
Mercedes-Benz 600
See Mercedes-Benz S-Class for a complete overview of all S-Class models.

The Mercedes-Benz W189 model 300 was a four-door luxury tourer produced by Mercedes-Benz between 1957 and 1962. It was the company's flagship model at the time, equivalent to the modern S-Class and Maybach.

Marketed as the Type 300d,[2] it was equal in features and price but superior in performance to the rival Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud.[3] Favored by statesmen and business leaders, it offered options such as a glass partition, VHF mobile telephone, and dictation machine.

All but hand-built as the company flagship, the 300d is often colloquially referred to as the Adenauer, after Konrad Adenauer, the first Chancellor of Germany (then West Germany) who employed six custom cabriolet, hardtop saloon, and landaulet versions of the W189 and its precursor W186 series during his tenure. Among the custom features in these "parade cars" were writing desks, sirens, curtains, dividing partitions, sunroofs, and half-roof "landaulet" configurations.

Technologically advanced,[4] the fuel injected 3.0 L inline-6 "Type 300" was regarded as a "driver's" car, sharing numerous design innovations and mechanical components with the iconic Mercedes-Benz 300 SL "Gullwing", including engine, suspension, and chassis. It was succeeded by the 6 L W100 Mercedes-Benz 600 Grosser Mercedes in 1963.

  1. ^ a b Deutsche Autos, Band 4, 2001.
  2. ^ Sales brochure for the Mercedes-Benz Type 300d, storm.oldcarmanualproject.com Retrieved 23 August 2016
  3. ^ Classic and Sportscar Magazine, February 1994, Pp. 52-55
  4. ^ "Mercedes Benz 300 | Buy & Sell | Beverly Hills Car Club". September 2017.