August 21, 2009

Mercedes-Benz 190 to 300 “Peilstege” aka “Heckflosse” (W110, W111 and W112)

A little history

The rounded, pontoon-bodied Mercedes-Benz of the Fifties started to give way to a squarish new car in 1959, with the introduction of the larger and wider W111. Modern-looking overall, the W111 was characterized at the back by its finned rear wings, hence the name “Heckflosse” which has been unofficially attached to this generation of cars in their native Germany, and up front by its combined lamp units, known as Lichteinheiten, a feature then unknown at a time when round headlights were still the norm. The W111’s engine was a 2.2-litre inline six.

In 1961, the Heckflosse range was extended downward with the introduction of the W110, a simpler version powered by gasoline or diesel fours, both of 1.9-litre displacement. The “pontoon” cars were then gone for good. The diesel, an interesting option for fleets and particularly for taxis, largely outsold the gasoline version throughout the model’s lifespan. During the same year, the old top-range 300 model was replaced by the W112, a chrome-laden W111 which received a 3.0-litre six based on the famed 300 SL’s engine, power steering, automatic transmission and pneumatic suspension, all standard equipments.

These basic three models, known to the public as the 190 (W110), 220 (W111) and 300 (W112), were built until 1965 without major modifications. That year, the whole range was improved: the two lesser models received larger engines, making them known thereafter as the 200 and the 230, while the 300 was eliminated due to the recent arrival of the prestigious 600, crowning Mercedes-Benz’ offer. In its place a new 250 SE (W108) appeared, a brand-new car powered by a larger (2.5-litre) six fitted with fuel injection, and graced by a stylish body penned by designer Paul Bracq, who eliminated the then old-fashioned fins.

The four-cylinder W110 and six-cylinder W111 were built until 1968, when the brand-new W114 and W115 were introduced as their replacements.

About the models

Model: Mercedes-Benz 220 SE
Year: 1959
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.11 of its La Légende Mercedes-Benz press series
Acquired: brand new, in January 2008, in Souillac, France

Altaya proposed a rather correct W111 in its recent collection about Mercedes-Benz. The quality of the models Ixo provides to Altaya have been greatly improved over the years – notice the rear lights and the replacement of the plastic radiator mascot by a much thinner photoetched one. My rating is 14/20.

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Model: Mercedes-Benz 200 D
Year: 1964
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.7 of its Taxis du Monde press series
Acquired: second hand with mismatched stand and box, in October 2007, through mail from a fellow collector from Rouziers de Touraine, France

Altaya proposed this Cairo Mercedes-Benz in its collection dedicated to the taxis of the world. I’ve been glad to find it as part of a set sold by another collector as my father drove a 200 D for a while. He had sold a Ford Consul 315 of which he was particularly happy and purchased a W110, which was the worst car he ever had. The car spent the majority of the time at the garage being repaired, so with the warranty soon over my father quickly sold it, promising never to buy a Mercedes-Benz again.

As with most older Altayas the weakest point of this model is its rear lights, here simply painted in uniform red paint – too bad as the rest of the car is rather correct. Like all Mercedes-Benz die-casts, the star above the radiator is first to be damaged, and unsurprisingly I received mine without this part. I’d give 12/20 to this model.

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2 comments:

JDMike's Diecast Site said...

i have this 200D in 1:18 scale, somehow it has already some paint defects because its too old. these are nice benzes sir Laurent! :-)

lorenzo721 said...

Thank you so much JD. It's always sad to see how fast our models got old here under our climate. By the way, I do not recall a 200D in 1/18, though I'm not surprised that it indeed exists. What brand is yours? My bet would be Revell - they have such a large range of fine German vintage cars - but I really don't know for sure.