MERCEDES-BENZ, The 1960s, W108 and W109 V8: From the 280SE 3.5 to the 300SEL 6.3

The 6.3 L V8 engine in the W109 Mercedes-Benz executive car was the result of a Mercedes engineer's argument with a journalist. At the end it turned out for Daimler-Benz to be a significant milestone. It was a mixture of two cars that did not sell too well: the 600 Grosser and the 300SEL 3.0. This guide, which was updated in August 2023, tells the story of the 6.3, 3.5 and 4.5 L models in both W109 and W108 (only 3.5 and 4.5) versions. It walks you through the car's individual history, looks in detail at the three V8 engines and explains their chassis number and data card. And should you want to buy one of them, a comprehensive buyer's guide will assist you sorting out potential trouble spots. All this is accompanied by superb recent non-Daimler AG color photography, this includes pictures of the suspension.

These are some of the topics covered:Development and history of the V8 W108/109 sedans and their V8 enginesWhy were V8 engines neededMercedes V8 buyer's guideA look into the original brochuresChassis number and data cardPower and torque curvesTechnical features and production historyOver 140 mostly recent color photos highlight many interesting features; this includes pictures of the suspensionA separate chapter is devoted to safety guru Béla Barényi, whose concepts greatly influenced how Mercedes cars like the W108/109 were designed.