Mercedes-Benz 280C - 1973

Mercedes-Benz’s W114/W115 “/8” (pronounced Strich-Acht) family arrived in 1968 as the brand’s thoroughly modern mid-sizer, engineered under Béla Barényi’s safety philosophy and styled by Friedrich Geiger’s team. The pillarless coupé version, internally C114, followed in 1969, but the real headline upgrade came for model year 1972 when the 280 C and 280 CE landed with the new M110 2.8-litre twin-cam straight-six. The 280 C used twin carburettors and was rated at around 160 PS, while the injected 280 CE made about 185 PS—both giving the elegant two-door genuine long‑legged pace.

The 280 C sat at the top of the W114 coupé tree until production ended in 1976, just as the W123 took over. It distilled Mercedes values of the era: bank-vault build, precise steering feel from the recirculating-ball setup, supple independent suspension, and restrained, airy design with frameless glass and no B-pillar. With all four windows down the cabin had an almost hardtop-like openness—an enduring Mercedes coupé party trick.

In period, the 280 C was pitched as a gentleman’s express rather than an outright sports coupé. Naturally its rivals were more varied than its demeanour: BMW’s E9 2800/3.0 CS offered racier edge, Opel’s Commodore GS/E coupé undercut on price, the Peugeot 504 Coupé charmed with Pininfarina style, and Audi’s 100 Coupé S went light and revvy. Yet the Mercedes answered with serenity at speed, longevity, and an interior that mixed real wood veneer with indestructible MB‑Tex or plush velour. Contemporary testers praised its high-speed stability and workmanship, while often noting that the carburetted M110 could be a touch thirsty and, depending on tune, show the occasional low‑speed hesitation—critiques echoed in North American road tests of the 280 C with emissions equipment and big 5‑mph bumpers added from 1974.

Fun details abound. The “/8” nickname came from early chassis numbers ending in “/8” for 1968; it stuck to the whole generation. The M110 itself was Mercedes’ first mass‑production DOHC inline‑six, soon spreading to W116 and W123 lines. Four‑wheel disc brakes and Barényi’s safety cell with crumple zones made the C114 feel thoroughly advanced. And while W115 diesels became taxi legends, the upmarket 280 C graced the driveways of Europe’s doctors, architects and hoteliers—appearing frequently in 1970s European TV police dramas such as Tatort and Derrick, where its clean styling and pillarless profile read perfectly on screen.

Across its short run the 280 C saw subtle upgrades: the 1972 engine change to the M110 twin-cam was the big step; subsequent model years brought revised interior trim, head restraints and belt updates, minor switchgear and mirror changes, and market-specific lighting and bumper revisions (especially in the U.S.). By the time the W123 coupé arrived, the 280 C had cemented the template: an elegant, understated Mercedes two-door that traded flash for engineering depth—and that’s exactly why enthusiasts still love it today.