What's the story on this Coupe?

[tram]

I happened to notice this picture while referencing some DB paint code info for someone on another forum. What's the story on this? Now, before you tell me "it's a W112 Coupe, ya goofball!" look at this thing CLOSELY. I've never seen one like this.

Can you spot the differences? What is it? Custom, prototype, or early- early production?

I like it a lot, and the wheels are turning, and my welding finger is getting itchy. The only thing cooler would be as a Cabriolet, but then you'd lose one of the unusual attributes.

So, who knows about this? Spill it!

[t walgamuth]

It looks pretty cool! I suspect it is a prototype. the rear roof post is different from the production coupe.....the vent was not used and the shape of the rear window looks unusual. the fins look more voluptious than on any factory fintail but very similar. The production coupes of course did not have fins.

The chrome on the lower front fender is the only thing out of place. It looks wrong. Come to think of it the large chrome trimmed vent on the side of the roof support looks wrong too.

I've never seen one like it before.

I suspect it is a prototype.

[69coupe]

Somebody just went too far with their creative license. I've seen it before on another forum . I don't like it !

[Tomguy]

Looks like a regular 111 coupe to me with rear quarters from a 111 sedan. I wouldn't say it's a prototype because I never have seen MB prototypes with those vents, and I'd find it hard to believe that someone would modify a rare prototype to add those.

[JiveTurkey]

The vent on the front wing is a cheesy bit of faff added by someone with poor judgement. While not as common as one would think I have actually seen quite a few w111 coupes or cabriolets with the fins added. I actually think they look lovely (I own a sedan heckflosse) and I find it a crying shame MB didn't have the flosse on their coupes and cabriolets of the era. Ergo...

[tram]

Yeah, Jive, I like it a lot too.

The pic is sort of low- res, but I'd say definitely Sedan fins with the trim that goes onto the doors like a sedan. Coupe doors with trim bumps?

Also, it looks like late Ponton wheels and hubcaps with captured trim rings. That's why I was thinking it might be an early- early proto, or a nice repro of one.

I'm wondering if the front fender vents might be cooling for early Dunlop discs?

If that car's a hack, it's a damn good one!

[JiveTurkey]

I was thinking the wheels were 14" steelies with the one piece hubcaps, unpainted in this instance. I hate seeing unpainted hubcaps.

[tram]

Originally Posted by JiveTurkey

I was thinking the wheels were 14" steelies with the one piece hubcaps, unpainted in this instance. I hate seeing unpainted hubcaps.

Me too. It just screams "lazy". That and orange peel!

[Squiggle Dog]

I love that car! The fins are the same size as the sedans, but the flatter coupe trunk makes them look larger. I agree that the hubcaps need paint. I'd love to have that car, but to be honest I prefer sedans over coupes anyway.

[TheDon]

Might be 15" hub caps.

Hows the samba treating ya

I'll see if my Mercedes Guru might know what is up with it.

[POS]

Just the tailfins would have been cool. I'd have said "yuck" until I saw it; looks pretty good.

[Palolo]

More pics of it here: 50 Years of Mercedes 300 SE '300SE, Cut, Prototype »Classic Events

[twinockchef]

There is something very wrong with this car. It looks like a 'Pimp My Ride' car. There are two sets of license plate lights. The side trim is set in the grove thus making useless in preventing door dinks. The upholstery is custom not factory. The C piller trim looks completely out of place and the fender vent has to be some glued on bull****.
Mercedes would have never allowed a prototype like this to survive. They made it a habit to destroy undesirable prototypes.

[Squiggle Dog]

I think it's great. I agree about the two sets of license plate lights being too many. The sedans had the side trim in the groove just like this coupe. The fender vent seems to be functional, with a hole even, and I like the look. I think my fintail station wagon needs the wheel arch trim. Speaking of: Mercedes-Benz 230 S Universal » 230S, IMA, Combined, Universal "classic car events . Now we're talking!

[tram]

Wow, that's a bad translation. LOL.

On the rear bumper and dual license lights, my guess would be that the original bumper got damaged and this is a replacement. All the Euro coupes have the bumper mounted lamps, but this car has sedan taillights. They should put a U.S. style rear bumper on it. The upholstery looks 100% Euro to me.

I like the little short subtle styling crease in the fenders at the bottom of the light assemblies. This touch alone tells me it's MB proto and not a hack- doubtful that a hacker/ customizer would think of this... too understated.

Those DO look like late Ponton wheels and hubcaps. Definitely not just unpainted 14" steelie caps. To my knowledge, that type of hubcap only came in 13" and 15" sizes, and the 15" ones are really rare. Those wheels don't look big enough to be 15s.

I like everything about it- because it's an oddball. I don't really like the fender vents... unless they're functional either as disc brake cooling or as "crotch coolers".