Mercedes-Benz · 1952–1958
Mercedes-Benz W188
The Mercedes-Benz W188 was a two-door luxury sports tourer produced by Mercedes-Benz between 1951 and 1958. The company's most expensive and exclusive automobile, the elegant, hand-built two-door 300 S (1952-1955) and its successor 300 Sc (1955-1958) were the pinnacle of the Mercedes line of their era. The pair's conservative styling belied their technological advances, sharing numerous design innovations and mechanical components with the iconic Mercedes-Benz 300 SL "Gullwing", including engine, suspension, and chassis. In addition, it shared other refinements with Mercedes' flagship four-door (W186) 300 "Adenauer" sedan, including a pedal-operated chassis central lubrication system, and a dashboard operated electrical torsion-bar activated rear load-leveling suspension leveling system. The W188 was available as a hard-topped coupe, a cabriolet, and a roadster (fitted with a lighter, fully retractable soft top without the cabriolet’s heft and large landau bars). A total of 760 W188s were produced between 1952 and 1958, 560 300S and 200 300 Sc.
Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Predecessor: Mercedes-Benz W29
All Mercedes-Benz W188 data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →
300 S
The 300 S (W188) was introduced at the Paris Salon in October 1951. It was available as a 2-seat roadster, 2+2 coupé, and cabriolet (officially the Cabriolet A). Although mechanically similar to the much larger contemporary four-door (W186) 300 "Adenauer" sedan, the additional craftsmanship, visual elegance, and 50% higher price tag elevated the W188 series to the apex of its era's luxury cars. The 300 S was fitted with a high-performance M188 version of the W186's 3.0 L (2996 cc/182 in³) overhead cam, aluminum head M186 straight-6, the M188. Designed to give reliable service under prolonged hard use, the engine featured deep water jackets, an innovative diagonal head-to-block joint that allowed for oversized intake and exhaust valves, thermostatically controlled oil cooling, copper-lead bearings, and a hardened crankshaft. Triple Solex carburettors and 7.8:1 compression and raised maximum output to 150 PS (110 kW; 150 hp) at 5000 rpm. From July 1952 to August 1955, a total of 560 300 S automobiles were built - 216 Coupés, 203 Cabriolet As, and 141 Roadsters were produced.
300 Sc
The 300 Sc (W188) appeared in 1955, featuring upgrades to both its engine and suspension derived from the high-performance 300SL Gullwing introduced a year earlier and the (W186) 300c, its most advanced version. These included the Sc's new M199 inline-six receiving a significantly detuned version of the 300 SL's M198 mechanical direct fuel-injection system, and a rear suspension improvement from the 300c. With an increased 8.55:1 compression ratio, the M199 produced 175 hp (130 kW) at 5400 rpm, and 188 lb⋅ft (255 N⋅m) at 4300 rpm. Prices rose to DM 36,500, and a total of 200 300 Sc's were built - 98 Coupés, 49 Cabriolet As, and 53 Roadsters through April 1958.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.
Specifications
- name
- Mercedes-Benz 300 S/300 Sc
- Manufacturer
- Mercedes-Benz
- Production
- 1952−1958 , 300S: 1952-1955 , 300 Sc: 1955-1958 , W188 Coupé: 314 , W188 Cabriolet/Roadster.: 446
- Predecessor
- Mercedes-Benz 770
- Successor
- Mercedes-Benz W112
- Class
- Two-door luxury car
- Body style
- 2 door coupé , 2-door cabriolet , 2-door roadster
- Layout
- FR layout
- Platform
- Mercedes-Benz W188
- Engine
- 2996 cc M188 I6 (300 S), 2996 cc M199 fuel-injected I6 (300 Sc)
- Transmission
- 4-speed manual
- Wheelbase
- W188: 2900 mm
- Length
- W188: 4700 mm
- Width
- W188: 1916 mm
- Height
- W188: 1510 mm
- Kerb weight
- W188: 1670 kg
- Related
- Mercedes-Benz 300, Mercedes-Benz 300d, Mercedes-Benz 300SL
Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.
More photos
Sources
- Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q556323CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_W188CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1364368302 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mercedes-Benz_300_Sc_(1956)_Classic-Gala_2021_1X7A0075.jpgCC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo: Alexander Migl · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.