Help for nostalgia 1976 240 D

[XelaEnnyl]

Hi there,

I am new here and certainly not as learned in the history of MB and its models as most of the enthusiasts on here.
I am simply after some information. I understand it may not be a straightforward answer, but in Mercedes Benz's current model line up, what would be the equivalent (or similar) of a 1976 240 D?

I grew up very close to my grandparents. And the 1976 240 D was my grandad's car, but was sold by my family after he passed. (I only know the model year as grandad kept saying that the 240 D was my older sister by 10 years )
I would not have the knowledge or budget to maintain a classic car. But, I have been saving up and in the position to acquire a new car. I am looking to buy a current MB model that may be the modern day equivalent of his 240 D. My own little homage to grandad.

Below is a photo grandad took of a silly looking young me with nan and his 240 D and finger partly blocking the photo.

 

[grober]

There isn't one unfortunately.

 

[alabbasi]

The 240D is what was called the W115 model. The W114/W115 models (same basic car with the W114 being a 6 cylinder and a W115 being 4 cylinder and diesel) were the mid size Mercedes Benz of the time. This is when Mercedes Benz only had four models in their lineup.

• The W114/W115 being the mid size
• The W116, S class ,
• W107 SL Convertible and SLC coupe
• The Unimog

The closest car to a W114 / W115 today would be the current E class. The naming convention changed in the early 90's with the W124 which was the first "E Class". Prior to the name change, the E stood for fuel injection and the top of the line was the 500E which became the E500 the following year. The predecisor to the W124 was the W123 and the predecessor to the W123 was the W114/W115 with the top of the range version being the 280E

Nice picture by the way. Like you I have fond memories of this particular Mercedes Benz. Here's a picture of my with my father and his W114 250. Probably taken 44 years ago.

 

[grober]

The problem with Mercedes together with many other manufacturers is "model middle-aged spread". The W115 was initially developed as a response to smaller more agile sporty BMW small saloons which were threatening to become more attractive to the younger German market. Unfortunately its successor the W123 "put on a bit of weight " to the extent there was room to slot in a smaller more nimble model the W201 [190] BELOW the W123 successor the W124. Once again the successor to the190 the first C class W202 put on a bit of weight! This was subsequently rectified with the W203 series but by this time BUILD quality had begun to slip and more and more Mercedes were being built outside Germany. The recent model W204 was the closest modern Mercedes model to approximate to the W115 in size and agility but again Mercedes couldn't resist putting on a bit of weight / size with the present W205. The small to mid-size saloon market in Germany which Mercedes hoped to capture way back then is now dominated by BMW and Audi and despite some MB models cosmetic AMG badging that battle is lost. A true spiritual successor to the W115 would fall somewhere between the present A and C class despite the A class being front wheel drive- hence my remark there is no present model equivalent???

 

[TeddyRuxpin]

 

[grober]

I understand why you suggested the CLA as it fits the bill in several ways. However I rejected it as was a four door Coupe rather than saloon, probably built in Finland or Hungary and was front/4 wheel drive?

 

[TeddyRuxpin]

Yeah I would go for an E class or even S-class due to the elongated boot. Not many in yellow though

 

[alabbasi]

The problem with Mercedes together with many other manufacturers is "model middle-aged spread". The W115 was initially developed as a response to smaller more agile sporty BMW small saloons which were threatening to become more attractive to the younger German market. Unfortunately its successor the W123 "put on a bit of weight " to the extent there was room to slot in a smaller more nimble model the W201 [190] BELOW the W123 successor the W124. Once again the successor to the190 the first C class W202 put on a bit of weight! This was subsequently rectified with the W203 series but by this time BUILD quality had begun to slip and more and more Mercedes were being built outside Germany. The recent model W204 was the closest modern Mercedes model to approximate to the W115 in size and agility but again Mercedes couldn't resist putting on a bit of weight / size with the present W205. The small to mid-size saloon market in Germany which Mercedes hoped to capture way back then is now dominated by BMW and Audi and despite some MB models cosmetic AMG badging that battle is lost. A true spiritual successor to the W115 would fall somewhere between the present A and C class despite the A class being front wheel drive- hence my remark there is no present model equivalent???

The W115 was a new development for Mercedes Benz (the /8), introduced in 1968 and represented a significant change in design from the earlier W110 model.

I'm not sure if they were in response to any BMW of the era. BMW new class sedans (1500/2000) which I don't remember seeing any of as a kid were already pretty long in the tooth, and BMW was trying to become a luxury car competitor, but was not quite there.

Closer competition would be the Volvo 144/164, Citroen DS, Ford Granada, Peugeot 504, Triumph 2000/2500 which either competed on luxury or robustness, and finally the BMW E12 5 series that came later on.

It was 100% the E class of it's time yes now Mercedes has 30 cars in it's model line up, and yes the current E class is a bigger car, but so is the current golf compared the MK1 golf or a current 3 series compared to the E21 3 series. The A class is an economy car. There's nothing budget about a W115.

Going back to some of the other cars I mentioned, the W114/5 was designed by Paul Bracq. He was a French designer who also designed the BMW E12 and the Peugeot 504. I got to meet in him 2005 at at a small gathering for Mercedes Benz M100 enthusiasts in Charleston, South Carolina. He attended along with Erich Waxenberger, and they were two very interesting men with some great stories.

 

[grober]

 

[MrGreedy]

I'm no Merc historian, but for me the lifestyle of the w114/115 that sticks out is the upmarket saloon for aspiring successful families. And therefore the E class saloon fits that bill. The sizes are not wildly different.

Being biased (owning a w212 pre facelift) I would recommend a w212 E350 V6 petrol around 2012 vintage. Preferably estate. It's all the car you could ever need and if you might be looking to potentially capture fond memories for young family members, the mile munching abilities and load lugging capabilities in quiet comfort fit that bill.

I have the saloon E350 diesel, and the only reason I didn't get the estate and petrol was because I couldn't find one in time within my budget and timeframe for looking. If the load lugging is less of an issue, save some money and look for the saloon; finding folding rear seats is a bonus. Again, I couldn't find one in time, so I just accepted that I would pay for delivery or pay a 'man with a van' if I needed to move anything large. It's worked out okay so far (2 years later).

Some will say get the post-facelift around 2013/14, and I was of the same view until a pre-facelift in fantastic condition fell into my lap, and I couldn't pass up the condition. Now, having lived with it, for some reason I prefer the pre-facelift. I have no idea why that view has changed.

 

[alabbasi]

Yeah they're different in size. That's the trend these days.
If we're comparing size, the current E class is the same size as the S class of the early 70's. The BMW 1 series today is longer than the first generation 3 series. Where it fits in the market is clear.

The A, B, C and CLA are all attempts for Mercedes Benz to go down market.