Which classic Mercedes-Benz models need a specialist?
A classic Mercedes specialist begins by placing the car in its family. Between a 1950s Ponton and a W124, almost everything changes: carburettors or mechanical fuel injection, a tubular spaceframe or a monocoque, a manual gearbox or one of Mercedes’ own automatics. The workshop therefore identifies the generation, the version and what remains original before any work is discussed.
These are the classic families the workshop inspects, maintains and restores.
- Ponton saloons, coupés and cabriolets of the 1950s, built on a monocoque body
- 190 SL, the four-cylinder roadster on carburettors, and 300 SL, the Gullwing coupé and later roadster, with Bosch direct injection and a tubular spaceframe
- Fintail (Heckflosse) saloons W110, W111 and W112, and the W111 and W112 coupés and cabriolets derived from them, the 220 SEb among them
- W113 SL “Pagoda” – 230 SL, 250 SL and 280 SL – with its Bosch mechanically injected straight-six
- R107 SL and SLC coupés, six-cylinder and V8, built for almost two decades
- W123 and W124 saloons, estates, coupés and cabriolets, now sought-after modern classics
From Mercedes-AMG to the SLS: recent cars
Modern Mercedes models call for a different reading. A recent SL, an S-Class or a Mercedes-AMG is diagnosed first with the right tool, control unit by control unit, before anything is removed. The SLS AMG stands apart: gullwing doors in homage to the 300 SL, an aluminium structure, a naturally aspirated V8 set behind the front axle and a dual-clutch gearbox mounted at the rear.
The G-Class bridges both worlds. From the W460 to the W463 it keeps a separate chassis and, depending on the version, differential locks, and it is serviced as much as an off-roader as a luxury car; our page on the Mercedes G-Class W460 and W463 covers its generations. The orange leather interior of a G-Class, steering wheel included, was trimmed in the workshop.
Restoration, upholstery, servicing: one page per craft
Each craft has its own reference page for Mercedes-Benz. Classic Mercedes restoration explains bodyshell repair, Bosch mechanical injection, brightwork and period gearboxes. Mercedes upholstery, carried out entirely in the workshop, deals with leather, MB-Tex and wood trim. Mercedes servicing, classic or AMG follows the manufacturer’s programme.
Three models also have their own page: the Mercedes 190 SL, the Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing and Roadster and the Mercedes W113 Pagoda SL.
Three Mercedes through the workshop
The black Mercedes 280 SL Pagoda, an automatic, had its bodyshell taken back to bare metal and lacquered black in the booth; its straight-six was detailed and its interior retrimmed in cognac leather, right down to the lined boot.
The ivory 220 SEb Cabriolet was restored from top to bottom: bare-metal shell, straight-six and Bosch mechanical injection rebuilt, gearbox rebuilt, front suspension overhauled, new brake backing plates and red leather upholstery. A silver Mercedes 190 SL was also presented in the workshop, with its engine bay, red leather, ivory steering wheel and whitewall tyres.
