1966 Mercedes-Benz 200

The 'W110' was a mid-size line of automobiles produced by Mercedes-Benz from April 1961 to 1968. The first cars of this series were the 190c and 190Dc (diesel) sedans. A restyling in July 1965 birthed the 200 (petrol) and 200D (diesel), the latter became available in North America in 1966. Both the W110 and six-cylinder W111 represented a significant evolution for Mercedes-Benz as they were their first series to be extensively crash-tested for occupant safety.

The body of the 190c and 190Dc were similar to their predecessors (the W120 180c/180Dc and W121 190b/190Db) but with round headlights and a slightly shorter front end. The rear of the vehicle, the dimensions, and the interior remained unchanged. Engines included a 1.9-liter 'M121' inline-4 in the 190c and a 2.0-liter 'OM621' inline-4 diesel in the 190DC. The diesel option was the more popular of the two, with 225,645 examples built compared to 130,554 of the petrol (190c).

Mercedes-Benz replaced the 190c with the 200, and the 190Dc with the 200D. Production of these sedans began at the Sindelfingen plant in July 1965 and continued through 1968.

The Mercedes-Benz 200 was powered by a 1,988cc four-cylinder engine (its bore increased from 85 to 87mm compared to the unit powering the 190c) with overhead camshafts, a cast-iron block, aluminum head, solid valve lifters, three main bearings, and a pair of single-barrel Solex carburetors. It produced 105 (SAE) power at 5,400 RPM and 123 lbs-ft of torque at 3,800 RPM. The compression ratio was 9.0:1.

The diesel engine powering the 200D was also a 1,988cc four-cylinder unit with fuel injection, 21.0:1 compression, and delivered 60 horsepower at 4,200 RPM and 87 lbs-ft of torque at 2,400 RPM.

The transmission was a four-speed manual with an automatic being optional. Steering was by a recirculating ball and braking was via discs at the front and drums at the rear. The suspension had unequal-length A-arms and coil springs at the front, and a single low-pivot swing axle with coil springs and trailing arms at the rear.

In the United States, the 200 sedan was priced at approximately $4,000 and the diesel version was about $200 higher.

The diesel version was again the more popular of the two, with 161,618 of the former versus 70,207 of the petrol. An additional 40,258 examples were of the 230 Series.

The Mercedes-Benz 230 replaced the W111 model 220 and was built from 1965 to 1968. Power was from a 2.3 liter M180 inline-6 cylinder engine, and pricing in the United States began at around $4,150.

From 1961 to 1968, Mercedes-Benz produced approximately 628,282 examples of the W110 Series.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2024