Ancestry of E Class
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2010 E350 Luxury Sedan, Engine 272 (V6)
Ancestry of E Class
Read an article in Collectible Automobile magazine about a 1952 M-B 170Da. Author made a statement that M-B considers the 170's to be ancestors of E Class. Just wondering how accurate that is. Apparently MBUSA borrowed to car for appearances in Hawaii and at Pebble Beach.
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From: V E G A S
1922 Ford Model T / no OBD
Few years ago we had dispute about class lettering and I actually send a question to MB USA, who could not answer it and forwarded it to MB in Germany.
Took over a week, but I got the answer. No longer have the email, but I quoted it somewhere on benzworld if you'd like to search for it.
Anyway, the E- classification come to life about 1995, so long after quoted 1952.
Earlier car of the size was W123 and W124, who were marked as 300-series.
Actually it was W124 who in last year was sold as E-class.
Took over a week, but I got the answer. No longer have the email, but I quoted it somewhere on benzworld if you'd like to search for it.
Anyway, the E- classification come to life about 1995, so long after quoted 1952.
Earlier car of the size was W123 and W124, who were marked as 300-series.
Actually it was W124 who in last year was sold as E-class.
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From: V E G A S
1922 Ford Model T / no OBD
BTW, the "luxury" cars go via strange transformation.
It happen to me 2nd time few days ago, that noticing new MB in front of me, I tought "the new E-class is getting smaller and smaller"
Only 2nd look let me notice S badge.
It happen to me 2nd time few days ago, that noticing new MB in front of me, I tought "the new E-class is getting smaller and smaller"
Only 2nd look let me notice S badge.
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From: Southeastern USA
2010 E350 Luxury Sedan, Engine 272 (V6)
Few years ago we had dispute about class lettering and I actually send a question to MB USA, who could not answer it and forwarded it to MB in Germany.
Took over a week, but I got the answer. No longer have the email, but I quoted it somewhere on benzworld if you'd like to search for it.
Anyway, the E- classification come to life about 1995, so long after quoted 1952.
Earlier car of the size was W123 and W124, who were marked as 300-series.
Actually it was W124 who in last year was sold as E-class.
Took over a week, but I got the answer. No longer have the email, but I quoted it somewhere on benzworld if you'd like to search for it.
Anyway, the E- classification come to life about 1995, so long after quoted 1952.
Earlier car of the size was W123 and W124, who were marked as 300-series.
Actually it was W124 who in last year was sold as E-class.
I think the E originally referred to fuel injection.
Of course no car of today is a direct descendant of any cars made many decades ago. The current Chrysler 300 is nothing like the original Chrysler 300's for example.
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1922 Ford Model T / no OBD
Fuel injection in German is "inespritzer" (don't remember exact spelling) meaning it is badged "I"
I did own all mid-priced MB sedans starting with 1985 models.
W123 was a tank.
W124 more sophisticated, but lighter and handling was so-so.
W210 regain the tank-feeling
W211 is lighter again, but suspension went high-tech. New technology, more gadgets took some interior space, so the car feels smaller inside
W212 packed the gadgets better, so interior feels roomier even outside measurements I think are smaller. MB, who I prize as being on conservative side, with W212 went with market trend and put low-profile wheels on the car. Now big % of topics in W212 section is about wheel repairs.
I did own all mid-priced MB sedans starting with 1985 models.
W123 was a tank.
W124 more sophisticated, but lighter and handling was so-so.
W210 regain the tank-feeling
W211 is lighter again, but suspension went high-tech. New technology, more gadgets took some interior space, so the car feels smaller inside
W212 packed the gadgets better, so interior feels roomier even outside measurements I think are smaller. MB, who I prize as being on conservative side, with W212 went with market trend and put low-profile wheels on the car. Now big % of topics in W212 section is about wheel repairs.
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2016 E350 Sport
There are several YouTube documentaries on the history of Mercedes-Benz. Here is one of them...
Here is one specific to the E-Class...
Here is one specific to the E-Class...
Last edited by DFWdude; Mar 30, 2020 at 11:49 AM.
Thread Starter
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From: Southeastern USA
2010 E350 Luxury Sedan, Engine 272 (V6)
Found the below links. You Tube Title is Mercedes-Benz: The E-Class History " The Best or Nothing" if you prefer to search for it. First link is an M-B site. It lists 170V (W136) as one of the forebears of the E Class.
The You Tube link went back to 260D of 1936(?) and then traced up until W212. This is a visit to an M-B museum in Germany. Listed W136, W120, W110, W114, W123, W124, W210, W211, W212. W124 (84-86) was first called E Class. Noticed one site referred to E Class as the Executive Class.
https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/cla...es-benz-170-v/
The You Tube link went back to 260D of 1936(?) and then traced up until W212. This is a visit to an M-B museum in Germany. Listed W136, W120, W110, W114, W123, W124, W210, W211, W212. W124 (84-86) was first called E Class. Noticed one site referred to E Class as the Executive Class.
https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/cla...es-benz-170-v/
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From: Austin, TX
2013 SL550 BiTurbo
Correct, When I went through MB ELITE Training, we were told:
E means Executive
C is Compact
S is Super(4 door)
SL is Super Leicht(Super Light)(2 door)
SLK is Super Leicht Kurtz(Super-Light-Short)
CL is Coupe Leicht (Coupe-Light)[now called the S Class Coupe]
CLK was Coupe Leicht Kurtz(Coupe-Light-Short)[now called the E Class Coupe]
G is Geländewagen
E means Executive
C is Compact
S is Super(4 door)
SL is Super Leicht(Super Light)(2 door)
SLK is Super Leicht Kurtz(Super-Light-Short)
CL is Coupe Leicht (Coupe-Light)[now called the S Class Coupe]
CLK was Coupe Leicht Kurtz(Coupe-Light-Short)[now called the E Class Coupe]
G is Geländewagen
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Member
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 93
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From: West Los Angeles
2003 W203 C230, 2021 RS6, 2022 992S, 2024 Q8 Etron
Correct, When I went through MB ELITE Training, we were told:
E means Executive
C is Compact
S is Super(4 door)
SL is Super Leicht(Super Light)(2 door)
SLK is Super Leicht Kurtz(Super-Light-Short)
CL is Coupe Leicht (Coupe-Light)[now called the S Class Coupe]
CLK was Coupe Leicht Kurtz(Coupe-Light-Short)[now called the E Class Coupe]
G is Geländewagen
E means Executive
C is Compact
S is Super(4 door)
SL is Super Leicht(Super Light)(2 door)
SLK is Super Leicht Kurtz(Super-Light-Short)
CL is Coupe Leicht (Coupe-Light)[now called the S Class Coupe]
CLK was Coupe Leicht Kurtz(Coupe-Light-Short)[now called the E Class Coupe]
G is Geländewagen
The original Mercedes letters were suffix:
Carburated models came with just model number no suffix - e.g. 200, 280S
Diesels had D suffix - e.g. 240D, 300SD
Fuel injected gasoline engine had E suffix e.g. 230E, 280SE
Coupe body had C suffix - e.g. 280C
Wagon body had T suffix - e.g. 230TE
So the suffix means either diesel or fuel injection, or an alternate body (standard sedan had no suffix). The only classic Mercedes suffix that didn't conform to the standard was SL. It stands for Sport Leicht and not a description of bodystyle or engine.
Last edited by bzcat; Mar 31, 2020 at 07:30 PM.
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From: Albuquerque
'10 CL550, '12 GL550
Until the early 2000s, they came with a soft top and for most there was a removable hardtop optionally available. Since then, the tops have been retractable steel. One of those removable hardtops famously called the Pagoda.
From 1952-56 the the 300SL was a coupe, but it became only a 2-seat convertible in 1957 ... and had the 190SL for a partner.
During the early 1980s there was the SLC, which was a fixed top version of the current (107) SL, the only time that designation was used ... until the name was recently revived to replace SLK.
The SLK/SLC is still a 2-door convertible, a shorter (K) one. Kind of like your Walther PPK.
As for E-class, the majority of W124 sold in USA were 300E and many started calling them E-class. Mercedes made this official with the facelift versions, including E320. 190 was an old-time traditional Mercedes designation, but it soon became obvious there would be bigger engines installed, and the "baby benz" became the C-Class. E = einspritzer, the correct spelling.
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Posts: 973
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From: Austin, TX
2013 SL550 BiTurbo
let me clarify, the designations I described are indeed only for the newer generation(starting in the 1990's) of cars where the letter is the prefix, not the suffix. I hope I did not confuse. That is the generation of cars that I know & repaired and I just go there automatically, sorry.
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From: V E G A S
1922 Ford Model T / no OBD
It is confusing becouse over the years the same letters would mean different thing.
The numbers on MB usually indicate engine size.
But before lettered class indication arrived, the 300-series cars were equipped with 2.3l (and other) engines.
I did own W124 who was marked as "300DT 2.3"
The numbers on MB usually indicate engine size.
But before lettered class indication arrived, the 300-series cars were equipped with 2.3l (and other) engines.
I did own W124 who was marked as "300DT 2.3"
Member
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 93
Likes: 29
From: West Los Angeles
2003 W203 C230, 2021 RS6, 2022 992S, 2024 Q8 Etron
It is confusing becouse over the years the same letters would mean different thing.
The numbers on MB usually indicate engine size.
But before lettered class indication arrived, the 300-series cars were equipped with 2.3l (and other) engines.
I did own W124 who was marked as "300DT 2.3"
The numbers on MB usually indicate engine size.
But before lettered class indication arrived, the 300-series cars were equipped with 2.3l (and other) engines.
I did own W124 who was marked as "300DT 2.3"
On the flip side, Mercedes used to "under label" its large engine "S-class" fullsize models both in US and Europe so the car attracts less attention. For example, the W111 280SE 3.5 had 3.5 V8 but stuck with the 280 name that normally applied to the 6 cylinder model. And the W116 450SEL 6.9 was definitely 6.9 liters but it stuck with the 450 name for the same reason. That didn't change until W126 came out and the top model gained the 500 (and later 560 name).
