Mercedes 200 series sedans, like this 1966 230S turn up with some regularity here on Barn Finds and some appear to be good buys. Is that the case with this example? Well, it certainly shows well so let’s take a closer look. This Fintail sedan is available, here on eBay for a current bid of $10,300 with 37 bids tendered so far.
While the “230” moniker has adorned many Mercedes Benz automobiles over the years but in this case, we’re zeroing in on the ’65-’68 W111-based 230S. Considered a full-sized luxury car, production totals exceeded 41K units. The seller describes this saloon by stating, “Minimal to no rust, excellent candidate for total restoration or drive as it is, looks good enough to park valet at any restaurant or nightclub“. It still shows beautifully, the chrome, trim, and grille are close to perfect. The dark green finish may have lost a bit of its luster but it still shines. As for the previously mentioned rust, the images don’t reveal any specifics.
A 135 HP, 2.3 liter, in-line six-cylinder engine provides power, and the seller states, “Starts right up goes into every gear with ease. No fluids leaks what so ever“. The engine compartment is clean and tidy, you can review this cold start video to get a flavor of the initial wake-up and then follow on with this driving video to see this Benz in action. As is evident, a four-speed manual transmission gets the go to the rear wheels.
The interior is, as is usually the case, all business and a fine example of Germanic aesthetics – including the distinctive verticle instrument binnacle. The leatherette upholstery shows beautifully except for a broken piece of piping that is evident on the outer bolster of the driver’s seat backrest. Beyond that, it’s still 1966! The seller mentions that the headliner has been replaced which is a nice benefit – it’s an expensive job that is often neglected. There are no floormats in place but the assumption is that there were at one time as the carpet shows like new!
As with so many cars today, I really appreciate the simplicity of this 230S. Modern Mercedes, as fine as they are, are just over the top with their complexity. This sedan, as sophisticated as it was for ’66, is just a nice driver’s car, one that was appreciated then and still should be today. Fine looking it is and it’s still trending in reasonable bid territory with just a day to go with the auction. The mileage is undisclosed, but based on appearances, inside and out, this 230S may prove to be quite a buy, wouldn’t you agree?
I really like the interior of this early Benz that cathedral speedometer cluster and the white steering wheel with the wood dash. German craftsmanship at its finest. I watched the video of the drive shifting through the gears sounded like working a rifle bolt. Doubtful it’s precise but sounds pleasantly mechanical. I’m sure the door closure also pleases the senses. Looks nice and simple under the hood making regular maintenance a breeze. Pictures show the car is wearing Michelin X tires. That’s some ancient rubber right there.
What a nice looking car! This is part of what
helped build Mercedes’ reputation for solid,well-
built cars.
Something about thes M-Bs, almost ominous. We didn’t see a lot of them in good ol’ Harley/Rambler town, but some folks had them. The guy across the alley, his uncle, an odd fellow, single, lived with them, worked the the post office, mmm-hmm, he had a M-B in the late 60s. As kids, it seemed like such an odd car to have, when 99% of the neighbors had American cars. It just looked evil, as we still had parents that talked pretty harshly of the Germans. As kids, we always hoped it would blow up, or something. Of course, it never did. Their loss, I’m pretty sure most of us think M-B is simply the best car in the world,,or was, anyway. Not to sell our cars short, they did the job well too, but not globally. M-B had some pretty big shots carted around in them, and no matter where you pull up in this, I’d expect some dictator or ambassador to come out the back. All that’s missing is the bumper flags,,
Beautiful car. I had a 65 220. Unfortunately I had to sell mine to the scrap yard because no one wanted to buy it.
It was not rusty.
Still makes me ill.