Back to the History of the 4 door sedans

With special thanks to Bob Gunthorp
  190c 190Dc 200 200D 220b 220Sb 220SEb 230 230S 300SE
Saloon 110.010 110.110 110.010 110.110 111.010 111.012 111.014 110.011 111.010 112.014
Ambulance 110.000 (1) 110.100 (1) 110.000 (3) 110.100 (3) - - - 110.002 (3) 111.000 (3) -
Special body 110.001 (2) 110.101 (2) 110.001 (4) 110.101 (4) 111.000 (6) - - 110.003 (4) 111.001 (4) -
LWB
Saloon
- - - 110.110 (5) - - - 110.011 (5) - 112.015
LWB
Ambulance
- - - 110.104 (3) - - - 110.005 (3) - -

(1) Partial Body, 4 doors.
(2) Pick-up and Delivery Van (Partial body, 2 doors). With type 190c partial body for special superstructures, 4 doors.
(3) Chassis, 4 doors.
(4) Chassis, 4 doors for special superstructures with increased payload.
(5) These LWB cars were sold by stating the code number 846 for cars with 7 to 8 seats, 847 for cars with 5 to 6 seats.
(6) Partial body, 4 doors for special superstructures.



Two different vehicle numbering systems were used at the time of the Heckflosse cars.

From 1953-1959 the build up of the identification code is as follows:

The numbers have 14 digits on Left Hand Driven cars and 15 digits on Right Hand Driven cars.
* The first digit: R (on RHD models only; LHD cars have no prefix).
* Next three digits: type (as W number).
* Next three digits: body type.
* Eight digit: N (standard transmission) or Z (Hydrak clutch).
* Next two digits: production year in reverse ('95' meaning the year 1959).
* Last five digits: serial number.


For example: R 111.010-Z-95-12345 would be the identification code of an RHD (R) 220 (W111.010) with a Hydrak clutch (Z), built in 1959 (95) and has 12345 as a serial number.


1 = Type plate.
2 = Identification code.
3 = Body number and Paintwork number.
4 = Engine number.

From the 1960s onwards the build up of the identification code is as follows:
The numbers have 14 digits on all models.
* The first three digits: type (as W number).
* Next three digits: body type.
* A. Seventh digit: 1 for Left hand Driven cars built in Germany, if built outside Germany this number would be a 5.
* B. Seventh digit: 2 for Right Hand Driven cars built in Germany, if built outside Germany this number would be a 6.
* Eight digit: 0 for standard transmission, 1 for Hydrak clutch or 2 for automatic transmission.
* Last six digits: serial number.

For example: 111.014-52-123456 would be the identification code for a 220SE (W111.014), Left Hand Drive built outside Germany (5), Automatic transmission (2) and with 123456 as a serial number.

 

The engine number: The serial number:
The engine numbers are built up almost the same as the identification code.
  • The first six numbers identify the type of engine (see 11) Engine specifications).
  • The next two numbers have the same meaning as they have in the identification code.
  • The last six numbers are the serial number, different than the serial number of the identification code.

For example: 180.941-20-123456 would be the engine number for a 220S (M180.941), Right Hand Drive built in Germany (2), manual transmission (0) and with 123456 as a serial number.

Type Starting Serial No. Ending Serial No.
190c 000001 130557
190D 000001 225647
200 130558 200761
200D 225648 387263
220b 000001 069692
220Sb 000001 161126
220SEb 000001 082687
230 000001 040258
230S

069693

110798

300SE/LWB

000001

009876

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