The Mercedes-Benz W112 (300SE) was the flagship model in Mercedes-Benz's line-up during the early 1960s. The car, produced in four modifications: coupé, cabriolet and sedans, was identical to the standard Mercedes-Benz W111 cars, but was fitted with the M189 big-block six-cylinder engine, as well as more luxurious features such as air suspension, power steering, automatic transmission, more expensive interior wooden veneer and leather trim, among other details.
To fully understand the significance of the W112... one has to remember, that prior previous generation of vehicles consisted of entry-level 4-cylinder 180/190 series, mid-range 220 series of sedan, coupe and cabriolet, a sports 190SL coupe and roadster, all built on a unified Pontoon unibody chassis. Topping them was the exquisite 300 series of sedan, coupe, cabrio and roadster, hand-built and based on pre-war models, but compensating this with luxurious features and priced such that these vehicles were made available only to elite of royal pedigree.
Mercedes-Benz took a large set of measures in terms of marketing to separate the W112 from the W111 including individual brochures, showrooms etc.Externally the cars were adorned with almost double the chrome details that were available to the W111s, bigger 14" rims and features such as power steering, pneumatic suspension and automatic gearbox as standard (though manual would return as an option). The car cost almost double the value of the top range 220SE! In 1963 Mercedes-Benz went on to create the long-wheelbase sedan, sometimes called 300SEL. Performance-wise the 300SEs topped the Mercedes-Benz range, with the M189 big-six engine producing 160 hp (170 after 1964) and giving a top speed of 180 km/h (190 after '64, both figures 175 and 185 for automatic transmission).
However the W112 turned out to be a very short-lived venture. In 1963 Mercedes-Benz showcased the true replacement for the Adenauer, in the new 600 limousine (W100), for the sedan, this meant that the production volume fell drastically if in 1962 2,769 such cars, the next year this fell to 1,382, and in 1965 with the coming of the W108/109 series the sedan W112 went into history.
