MERCEDES-BENZ, The 1960s, W108 and W109 V8: From the 280SE 3.5 to the 300SEL 6.3

by Bernd S Koehling

Overview

The 6.3 L V8 engine in the Mercedes-Benz W109 executive car was the result of a Mercedes engineer's argument with a journalist. At the end it turned out for Daimler-Benz to be a significant milestone. It was a mixture of two cars that did not sell too well: the 600 Grosser and the 300SEL 3.0. This guide, which was updated in August 2023, tells the story of the 6.3, 3.5 and 4.5 L models in both W109 and W108 (only 3.5 and 4.5) versions. It walks you through the car's individual history, looks in detail at the three V8 engines and explains their chassis number and data card. And should you want to buy one of them, a comprehensive buyer's guide will assist you sorting out potential trouble spots. All this is accompanied by superb recent color photography, this includes pictures of the suspension. A German hardcover version of this book is now also available here on Amazon.
These are some of the topics covered:

Development and history of the V8 W108/109 sedans and their V8 engines

Why were V8 engines needed

Mercedes V8 buyer's guide

A look into the original brochures

Chassis number and data card

Power and torque curves

Technical features and production history

Over 140 mostly recent color photos highlight many interesting features; this includes pictures of the suspension

A separate chapter is devoted to safety guru Béla Barényi, whose concepts greatly influenced how Mercedes cars like the W108/109 were designed.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781545583517
Publisher:	CreateSpace Publishing
Publication date:	04/24/2017
Pages:	204
Sales rank:	648,992
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.53(d)

About the Author

With over 25 books and e-books written about Mercedes-Benz cars, Bernd S. Koehling has proven to be an authority on the brand. The books cover cars from the 1936 170V to the 2012 SL R231.

Bernd has been involved in the Mercedes scene since the early 1970s, when he restored his first 170 Cabrio B. Since then he has not only owned many classic Mercedes including a 220S, 300d Adenauer, 200D, 250SE, 280SE coupe 3.5, 300SEL, 350SL, 280E, 450SE, SLK230. He has also gained a wealth of knowledge and experience, which he shares with his readers in his books.

Mercedes has always been considered one of his favorite car manufacturers and Bernd has driven almost all Mercedes models built since the 1950s. His other weakness revolves around British cars, here especially Jaguar and Alvis.